


Worlds Collide

by SteelLily



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CW: Blood and Torture, CW: Past Child Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2018-04-15 08:40:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 55,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4600191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteelLily/pseuds/SteelLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU in which everyone has their powers. Kahlan is a Confessor hiding her gift, working as a CPS worker. Confessors—in this world—are hunted for their gifts by the rich and powerful in the Underworld. “Darken” Rahl has been collecting Confessors to break and sell to the highest bidder. Rahl recently came into possession of several young women called Mord-Sith whom he uses to hunt Confessors. Kahlan meets a young girl who claims to have escaped the Mord-Sith temple. Kahlan alerts the police about the girl. Richard Cypher and Zeddicus zu'l Zorander come to Kahlan’s office to interview her. Due to the growing use of magic rampant in the Underworld, the police pair wizards with their detectives on cases dealing with the group. It is rumoured that the Keeper is a “powerful magic” wielder with control over death and life itself.</p><p>Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth universe, nor do I claim to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kahlan

**Author's Note:**

> A giant thanks to Cassiopeiasara for the beta of this chapter.

Kahlan threaded her fingers through her hair and rocked back in her chair. Like every other person in the office, her desk was littered with too many file folders holding the names of countless children in need. She was overworked and underpaid and it was finally beginning to wear on her. Kahlan felt burn-out creeping along her skin like a rash, burning and itching, making her antsy. She glanced up at the clock over her door, ten to three, her next client would be in soon. Somehow she had managed to accept yet another new client in a seemingly endless litany of new clients. She was not sure how she always seemed to get the most emotionally draining cases but she was beginning to fear that if she did not get an easy client in the next few weeks, she would combust or worse.

“Amnell, cops are here with your three o’clock,” their phone operator often had the distinct misfortune of also playing assistant to the case workers on severely short staffed days, if Kahlan thought honestly about it, everyday seemed like a short staffed day, which only played into her ever growing frustration.

“Thanks, Verna,” Kahlan forced a smile.

Verna offered an apologetic smile in return and disappeared back to the front of the office space. Kahlan shook her head at her degree hanging on the wall. She pushed away from her desk and made her way out to the lobby. Two tall, good ole boy looking men towered over a very small girl. She could not have been more than ten years old. Kahlan cleared her throat and the officers turned to leer at her. “Gentlemen,” she smiled.

“About time, here,” the taller man with a thick mustache shoved the girl in Kahlan’s direction.

Kahlan reached out to steady the girl. She shrank away from the contact and huddled tighter into herself.

“Oh yeah. She don’t like to be touched,” the shorter heavy set officer laughed as they walked out the front door.

Kahlan glared after them. When the door swung closed, she turned to Verna, “Did you happen to get their badge numbers by any chance?”

Verna smiled and waved a slip of paper at her, “I’m all too happy to call and complain.”

Kahlan grinned and nodded. Instinctively, she knelt to the girl’s eye level and reached toward her before pulling back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you without permission earlier. My name is Kahlan. Do you feel okay telling me your name?”

The girl examined Kahlan through squinted eyes. She looked back at Verna who nodded in encouragement. The girl swallowed and tentatively stuck out her hand, “I’m Rachel.”

Kahlan shook the girl’s hand and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Rachel. Would it be okay if we talked in my office for a little while? I think I might be able to convince my friend Verna to bring us some juice and I might have some candy tucked away somewhere if you’d like some.”

The girl looked between Verna and Kahlan with suspicion written across her face but she nodded and Kahlan pulled herself up and straightened her slacks. Verna handed her the file folder the officers left, bent to open the mini refrigerator at her desk and withdrew two juice boxes. “Good luck,” Verna mouthed to Kahlan.

Kahlan nodded and turned, brightly to the girl, “How do you feel about,” she read the labels on the boxes, “Fruit punch?”

Rachel nodded, her matted auburn hair falling in her face. Kahlan tucked the file under her arm and lead Rachel, who busied herself putting the straw in the box while constantly watching her surroundings. When they got into Kahlan’s office, she dropped the file on the desk and put the straw into her own juice box. “Would you like me to leave the door open or close it?” she asked.

Rachel shrugged. Kahlan walked over to her door and closed it. Rachel stood near the doorway looking ready to bolt at any given moment. She took a sip of her juice. “Thank you for this,” she said.

“You’re quite welcome. Would you like to come sit down?” she motioned away from her desk.

Kahlan smiled as she took down two containers of play-doh from her shelf, pulled a handful of hard candies from her jar and sat the items down on the table in front of her couch and chair. She sat down on the ground in front of the table and opened the green play-doh. Rachel watched her warily. Kahlan talked while she kneaded the play-doh in her hands. “There are some things I need to talk about with you,” she broke part of the play-doh off and began rolling small balls, “Some of my questions might make you uncomfortable and I just want you to know that if that happens, you can tell me and we can take a break and talk about something else. I want you to feel safe here, okay?”

Rachel slowly made her way from the doorway to the table. By the time Kahlan finished talking, Rachel was standing across from her, looking down at the table. Kahlan pushed the yellow play-doh in Rachel’s direction along with a piece of candy. She took another piece and unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. Rachel watched her silently. She sat her juice box down at the table and curled her legs beneath her as she sat down across from Kahlan. Kahlan smiled and resumed pinching off pieces and making balls with her play-doh.

“Is it okay with you if I ask you some questions, Rachel?”

Rachel nodded, not making eye contact. Kahlan continued, “How old are you?”

“Ten.”

“Did you grow up here in LA?”

Rachel shook her head. A tear slipped down her cheek, “We moved here last year.”

“Oh? Where did you live before here?”

Rachel squashed the play-doh in her hands, “We lived in Oregon.”

“Oh really? I’ve never been to Oregon, did you like it there?”

Rachel nodded and folded her play-doh over.

“So who’s the ‘we’ that you moved down here with?”

Rachel clenched her teeth, “My mom and dad.”

“When was the last time you saw them?”

Rachel glared up at Kahlan. “I already said this to the police. Can’t you just ask them?”

Kahlan nodded, “I could and if it makes you feel better, I can just read what they gave me but I’d like to hear it from you while we wait for your grandparents to get here.”

Rachel sighed and punched the play-doh in her hand. “The red ladies killed my mom and dad and took me to their cave. There were five or six other girls there. They hit us a lot. Some of the girls died, some got taken away and never came back until I was the only one left. I dunno if they forgot about me or something, but they stopped coming in and I followed the rats to a hole in the back and crawled through. That’s how I got away. The police found me. They asked me loads of questions and made me say the same thing over and over, then they made me come here and now you’re doing the same thing.”

Kahlan inhaled deeply, curbing the rage that was building in her chest. She could feel the girl was telling the truth. “The police didn’t believe you did they?”

“Nope and neither do you so when will Nanna and Papa be here to get me?”

Kahlan put the play-doh down and looked at Rachel, who was now glaring at her, “I believe you.”

Rachel scoffed and looked away, “Yeah right.”

Kahlan’s stomach clenched, “What can you tell me about the people that took you?”

“They’re called Mord-Sith and they said that if I didn’t die that they would be my new family,” Rachel deadpanned.

_Shit_ , Kahlan swallowed a gulp of fruit punch. “Did you tell the police it was Mord-Sith that took you?”

Rachel’s brow furrowed, “You know who they are?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of them. Did you tell the police?”

Rachel shook her head. “Okay,” Kahlan forced a smile, “Are you hungry?”

“You really believe me?” Rachel asked again, wiping at a tear.

“I really do,” Kahlan replied, “I’m sorry those officers didn’t believe you. They are dumb. I’ll get some smarter ones and tell them what you told me.”

Rachel chewed the inside of her cheek, “I don’t want them to find me again. I don’t wanna go back there.”

Kahlan started to reach out to her again but pulled back, “I’ll do everything I can to make sure they never find you, okay?”

“Promise?” Rachel asked.

Kahlan’s stomach twisted. She hated making promises she was not entirely certain she could keep but the terror in Rachel’s voice forced her, “I promise you. I will make sure they don’t find you,” Kahlan took a deep steadying breath in an effort to calm herself.

Before Kahlan could say anything else, there was a light knocking at her door. “Yeah?” she replied.

Verna popped her head in, “Rachel, your grandparents are here. You ready to see them?”

Rachel stood up. Kahlan composed herself and did the same. She smiled and walked to the door, ahead of Rachel. Rachel tugged on Kahlan’s shirt sleeve forcing her to look down. “Thank you for believing me,” she said and wrapped her arms around Kahlan’s waist.

Kahlan smiled and rubbed Rachel’s back, “I’m sorry the police didn’t believe you. I’ll make them believe your story. I promise.”

Verna squinted at Kahlan and lead Rachel out of the office toward the lobby where her grandparents rushed to wrap her in hugs and kisses. Kahlan crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. Verna joined her, leaning against the reception desk. “You never make promises, what happened?”

“Did you give them therapist references?”

“Yes.”

Kahlan smiled and waved back at Rachel as her grandfather carried her out of the building. “Mord-Sith took her, Verna.”

“Shit,” Verna replied, “I’ll call the police back down here.”

Kahlan turned and walked back into her office. She sighed and collapsed back down at her desk. She took out her phone and scrolled through the photos until she stopped on one of her and her sister. They were both smiling, young and hopeful. It was Dennee’s graduation photo, the last one Kahlan had of her sister. Kahlan clicked the power button to shut off her phone and composed herself. Her office phone buzzed and she picked it up. Verna informed her that someone from the police’s gang division would arrive in twenty minutes. Kahlan groaned her thanks into the phone and started updating the day’s case files as quickly as possible.

By some small miracle, Kahlan managed to get all but three case files updated before the two detectives arrived. Verna showed the pair back to Kahlan’s office. A young, optimistic man introduced himself and his older much taller partner as Richard and Zedd.

Richard smiled boyishly, Kahlan bit back a giggle behind a raised eyebrow. She was certain that kind of farm boy charm worked on most women he directed it toward but Kahlan was focused on the task at hand. Zedd studied Kahlan without speaking for several moments, causing Kahlan to squirm slightly. “So, Miss Amnell, tell us about the girl,” Zedd finally said.

“She said the people who abducted her and killed her parents were Mord-Sith.”

Richard turned to Zedd and nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Miss Amnell, that’ll be all.”

“What?” Kahlan shot up.

Zedd added, “That’s all we need from you. We have the report from the officers. We will follow up on these claims. Thank you for alerting us.”

“Wait, that’s it?” Kahlan crossed her arms over her chest in a fury.

“Yeah. If we need anything else from you, we’ll let you know,” Richard smiled.

“You’re lying,” Kahlan stated matter of factly.

“I—what?” Richard asked.

“You have no intention of following up on this information,” Kahlan glared between the two men.

Richard started to respond, but Zedd put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder and shook his head. “How do you know our intentions, Miss Amnell?”

Kahlan’s eyes widened and she flushed, “I don’t. It’s just how you’re acting.”

“And do you know with this same confidence that young Miss Rachel was telling the truth.”

_Goddamn it, he knows_ , Kahlan gripped her desk and took a breath. She looked Zedd in the eyes, “Yes.”

Zedd nodded slowly. Richard looked between them in total confusion. “We will follow up on the information you’ve provided us, Miss Amnell.”

“I trust your discretion, detectives,” Kahlan replied, barely able to keep the pleading out of her voice.

“We will exercise the utmost care with this information. We will be back, Miss Amnell, don’t go disappearing anywhere,” Zedd nodded, “We may need your ‘assistance’ at a later date.”

Richard still stared back and forth between them, the subtext of their conversation, completely lost on him. Kahlan wrapped her arms around herself as the pair exited the office. She collapsed back onto her chair after Richard closed the door behind him. He smiled and waved at Verna and they exited the building. “Okay, Zedd, you want to tell me what all that was about?” Richard asked.

“Miss Amnell appears to be a Confessor, son.”

“Wait what?” Richard scratched his head.

“Oh, my boy, sometimes you are quite dense.”


	2. Cara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty violent. It's canon-typical as tagged but still. Fair warning to folks. I don't want anyone walking away triggered. Compared to some fics I've seen it's not that bad, but I'd hate for someone to not be warned.
> 
> This should be about as violent as this story gets. I don't imagine getting any more graphic with the description than this. I'll always put content warnings on things of this nature at the beginning of chapters so folks have fair warning.
> 
> Some liberties are taken in the description of what it feels like to be in the presence of a Rahl for dramatic purposes. I have no idea if/how it's described in the books as I've only seen the show. If it's too far off the mark from the books and someone would like to let me know, I'll gladly look at adjusting slightly to be more in line with canon.
> 
> Once again this chapter was betaed by Cassiopeiasara. Many thanks.

Cara stalked along the bars of her cell, eyes constantly searching the darkness in front of her. Her sisters shifted aimlessly behind her, their breathing and leathers rubbing disrupting Cara’s ability to listen. “Breathe more quietly…and Spirits, stop moving,” she roared.

Triana scoffed and generating as much noise as possible, crossed her leather clad arms over her chest, “Who precisely put you in charge, Cara?”

Cara turned slowly to glare at the woman and without warning, lurched forward backhanding Triana across the jaw. Her head jerked back from the blow, when she licked at her lip, she tasted blood. “I do not see anyone else stepping forward to find a way out, do you Triana? Or are you content to become a lap dog? Shall I find you a leash so that you may be led around like the bitch you are?”

Triana gritted her teeth. She gripped tightly to the Agiel at her side. Cara, seeing the debate in her mind, punched Triana in the nose, rocking her head back. Her hand instinctively went for her nose and Cara grabbed the Agiel from its holster, lashing out with another strike across Triana’s brow. The other Mord-Sith watched quietly, waiting for a victor to rise from the two most senior women in the cell. Triana hit the concrete with an audible thump. Cara walked over and stood directly over top her body. She grabbed Triana’s long braid and jerked her head upward. A spluttering breath left Triana’s lips. “Do you yield?” Cara bent and asked into her ear.

Triana’s eyes closed, she swallowed awkwardly from the extreme angle of her neck, “Yes, Mistress,” she growled.

Cara tossed her head down and stalked back to the cell bars. Triana wiped the blood away from her face and sat up, “For now,” she whispered to herself.

Cara’s eyes narrowed to slits and she tossed Triana’s Agiel back toward her without looking. Cara took a cleansing breath and stretched the coiled muscles of her neck and shoulders. The sudden surge of violence and burst of adrenaline honed her perception, she heard someone walking down a set of stairs before a door to her left swung open. Fluorescent light poured in from the stairwell, cold light that lacked the warmth of sun or cool of moon just the cold sterility of something manmade. Cara observed the curve of the stairs, sounds of feet shuffling further up and guns shifting in hands. 

Finally, when the heavy metal door clanked shut again, she turned her attention to the man standing several feet from the cell. She kept an eye in her periphery as he walked toward the cell while she took in as much information as she could process. She felt her sisters drop to their knees in front of this man. His long hair was pulled into a low ponytail. His face, scratchy with stubble. She felt the pull that emanated off his body. The power that called to her blood. He clasped his hands behind his back and studied Cara. The buttons on his black suit coat strained over his muscles. Cara fought to remain upright, feeling her knees want to bend in his presence. The muscles in her jaw clenched as she held tightly onto her Agiel. The pain coursing up her arm was stronger than usual. She sighed and rolled her eyes up at the man as her knees finally bent. “My Lord Rahl,” she growled.

The man smiled predatorily. He strolled leisurely back toward the stairwell, Cara watched, trying to stand up. The light switch flipped on, momentarily blinding the women. Their hands went to shield their eyes. Cara barely heard the door opening. It was a trick she knew well enough. Cause one sense to be overwhelmed and briefly in the scramble to compensate, the rest of the senses struggle to catch up. Cara squinted at the woman Darken Rahl led into the room. Her white blonde braid trailed the ground behind her. She palmed her Agiel in one hand, Darken took her by the other hand and led her to the cell. “My dear Cara, how lovely to see you again,” Denna purred.

“Denna,” Cara sneered still battling against her blood.

Denna knelt in front of Cara and lifted her face with the end of her Agiel. Cara grimaced slightly as the weapon whined against her skin. Tears beaded in her eyes from the pain but Cara was proud above all else and would not show how near losing consciousness she felt. Denna grinned broadly and dropped the Agiel. She rose and holstered the weapon. “My Lord Rahl,” she ran her hand down his arm, “I recommend you separate her from her sisters. She will require the most training. The rest should be like clay in your palm. I will break Cara personally.”

Cara steeled her expression and put on a mask of apathy. “Denna could not break that child over there,” she nodded toward the back, “let alone a Mord-Sith more powerful than her.”

Denna balked and lunged toward the cell, Darken stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. He stepped forward. “Perhaps you would prefer I do this breaking, Cara, is it?”

Cara languidly rolled her eyes up to him, “As my Lord Rahl wishes,” she replied wetting her lips.

Denna and Triana nearly simultaneously made a disgusted noise. Cara felt their eyes roll but Cara knew precisely where her strengths laid. It did not matter that her blood begged to be led by this man, she was slave to no one any longer. The Lord Rahl or not, she was determined to see herself free from this prison, whatever it took. Over the course of their exchange, Cara had not noticed the armed guards that had piled into the room with their guns trained on the cell. Whatever strength of will, Darken was putting toward the cell, he released and slowly the women began rising to their feet. Cara clutched the bars, eyes scanning the guards, counting the weapons, calculating an attack. She saw Denna whisper in Darken’s ear. 

Suddenly Cara’s vision narrowed and she fell back down to her knees. The near crushing weight of it made it hard to breathe. Her hands clenched into fists, she tried and failed to raise her head. A growl of frustration grew at the back of her throat. She heard the cell door swing open then felt two sets of hands roughly drag her to her feet. She watched her feet scuff along the ground and stop in front of a pair of shiny black loafers. His hand on her chin was rough, fingers covered in callouses. He gently lifted her chin to meet his eyes. The pull was even stronger this close to him, it sent her head swimming. “There’s no need to be so difficult, Cara,” he sighed, his breath warm on her face.

He waved a hand dismissing them and Cara was led out of the room through the stairwell door, around the corner and into another room. She felt a needle prick her arm and her eyelids became heavy. The first thing she noticed when she slowly started to wake was how badly her shoulders ached. She blinked heavy eyelids and tried to touch the side of her face but her hands were restrained above her head. Adrenaline tore through her and she jerked fully conscious. The chains holding her aloft rattled as she twisted her body. Her legs flailed loosely below her. She looked down into the pit she hung over. It was filled with a thick liquid that glinted ruby in the dim light. She licked at her cracked lips and wondered how long she had been hanging there.

“Finally, the princess awakens,” Denna smirked, running her hands over her red leather.

“Denna,” Cara replied flatly with a roll of her eyes.

Denna stalked toward Cara. She pulled her Agiel from her belt and ran it along Cara’s bare skin. Her body felt like one taut bundle of nerves. The Agiel came to rest on her ribcage, but Cara felt it down to her toes. She inhaled sharply, but kept a blank stare just over Denna’s head. Denna removed the Agiel, Cara took a deep breath and was cracked across the face with the weapon. She slipped again to unconsciousness.

Cara startled awake and grimaced at the bruises and what felt like a broken rib when she inhaled. She ran her tongue along the inside of her cheek and noticed a tooth missing. Blood splattered in the pit beneath her as it dripped from her body. She expected to see Denna again and prepared a quip about her tooth but Triana stepped through the door this time. Cara rolled her eyes and groaned, “Did they even have to break you or did you just jump straight onto his dick?”

Triana laughed, “That’s funny. We all pledged ourselves to our true master easily enough. We were made to serve the Lord Rahl. I don’t know why you insist on fighting it. It’s what we do,” Triana walked the circle around Cara’s body.

She pressed her Agiel into Cara’s lower back, Cara exhausted from constant torture involuntarily jerked at the burn. “I will kill you one day, Triana. I swear it,” she spat blood at the woman as she passed by.

“I doubt that,” Triana called with a wave as she exited.

Cara sighed and jerked lightly on the chains. Her body bounced. A groan tore from her throat as she felt and heard a sick pop of her shoulder. There was a tch over her shoulder. Darken stepped forward wearing a pair of black basketball shorts and nothing else. “I would’ve liked this to be faster. Denna’s week is long past and still you will not break. Do you even know anymore how long you’ve been like this?”

Cara stared blankly ahead of her. He rammed an Agiel into her side. Her muscles rippled. She could see the dark red spidering along her skin out from the Agiel. Rahl pushed his power into the Agiel and Cara could not fight the moan that slipped past her defenses. “My Lord, please,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” he replied through gritted teeth, grinding the Agiel harder against her skin.

At this Cara screamed. She felt the vision in one eye blur and go black. She closed it, her breaths short and shallow, “Please stop this, My Lord Rahl,” Cara tried louder.

Darken’s face shifted into a small smile. He removed the Agiel from her body and cradled her face, “I would much prefer taking pleasure from you than pain but you force me to be a harsh master. That seems to be what you crave.”

Cara struggled to breath. She felt her heart banging in her chest faster than it should be. She tried catching her breath and slowing its pace. Darken swung the Agiel like a bat into her stomach. The wind left her in a cough and he quickly thrust the stick against her neck. Her body convulsed and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her heart stopped its beating. Darken sighed and called Denna from outside the door. He waved his hand at Cara. Denna climbed a chair next to her lifeless body to breathe the Breath of Life back into her. Cara gasped awake. Her eyes struggled to focus. She recoiled at the nearness of Denna and noted the yellow-brown that surrounded her eye. Denna climbed off the chair and returned to the doorway. “Don’t leave. I’ll need you again, I’m sure. We’re only getting started, aren’t we, Cara?”

Cara jolted to life again, sagging heavily against the chains, both shoulder blades pulled from their sockets. She heard Denna whisper to Rahl, “I’ve used the Breath of Life on her five times in less than two hours, you risk damage to her if you keep this up, my Lord.”

Rahl backhanded Denna and sent her sprawling. Cara licked her lips and tried to speak but no sound came out. She took another breath. One eye refused to open but she lifted one green eye to Rahl. He stepped over Denna’s body and grasped the back of Cara’s neck, pulling her mouth toward his ear. “Mmm,” she tried and took another breath, “My Lord, ple…”

He released her neck and looked at her battered body. He snapped his fingers and two guards entered the room. Denna cowered in the corner. The guards lowered Cara to the ground. They popped her shoulders back into their sockets and Cara screamed. It shifted into a coughing fit. Darken Rahl took a bottle of water from the table, opened it and placed it against Cara’s blistered and bleeding lips. She took slow gulps until she became slightly nauseous. “Th—thank you, my Lord Rahl,” she whispered against his shoulder.

“Take her upstairs,” he commanded the guards.

Her head lolled back and forth as they carried her up the stairs into a grand hallway. She blinked past the pain of the sunlight streaming through the tall windows. Her sisters lounged on chairs and stared at Cara’s naked bruised body as the guards carried her through. They placed her in a room up the stairs. Faintly, she heard voices over her and felt hands roaming across her body. She felt the pinch of another needle going into her arm.


	3. Kahlan

Kahlan’s eyes snapped open at the first tones of her alarm. She rubbed her eyes and sighed into her hands before reaching over to shut off her alarm. It had been a month since the detectives visited her office and she feared she had given herself away. Thirty days with no update and no clue whether they had followed up on the Mord-Sith lead. She thought that the wizard had understood what she was saying and who she was but the ensuing silence had convinced her that they were just as dense as the rest of the police officers she interacted with on a near daily basis. She groggily grabbed at her glasses on the nightstand and rose from the bed with a groan.

She stretched as she walked to the kitchen to start her coffee percolating. With her caffeine situation squared away, she made her way back to put in her contacts, shower and change for work. Twenty minutes later and coffee in hand, Kahlan stood in her closet in black slacks and a bra debating a shirt. She pulled a bright blue button up off the bar and changed in the bathroom. She finished what remained of her coffee and brushed her teeth. When she returned to her living room to put on her boots, she was interrupted by a knocking on her door. Her brow scrunched in confusion, through the peephole in her door, she groaned when she saw a fishbowled version of the farm boy detective staring off down the hallway.

The locks and latches clinked as she undid them. Kahlan opened her door and painted on a smile, “Good morning detectives. Richard and Zedd, was it?” she leaned around Richard’s body to acknowledge Zedd.

“Good memory. Miss Amnell, may we come in? We need to have a word,” Richard explained in a calm, easy tone that spoke to years of charming suspects and witnesses.

Kahlan moved out of the doorway to let them pass but explained, “I have to leave for work shortly, gentlemen, please make it quick.”

Zedd sighed, his aged features betraying Richard’s apparently forced lightness. Kahlan sighed, “Would either of you care for coffee?”

“No thank you,” Richard smiled.

A look crossed Zedd’s face. The wizard’s stomach growled. He simply shook his head. If Kahlan’s sudden rising nerves were not in the forefront, she might have offered him some food but as it stood, with her unease multiplying, she could think of little else than how to get these two men to spit out whatever they were about to say.

“You’ve a lovely apartment, Miss Amnell,” Richard smiled.

Kahlan sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, “Thank you, detective, but you did not come here to compliment my apartment.”

“You’re right, Kahlan, we aren’t here for pleasantries,” Zedd started with a chastising look toward Richard.

Richard only smiled and shrugged. 

“I’m sorry to be short, gentlemen, but I really must be getting to work,” Kahlan apologized, reaching for her purse in attempt to hurry the process.

Zedd cleared his throat, “We’ve already spoken with your supervisors and they have cleared your schedule for the next couple of days. We need you to come with us to speak with young Rachel again and…” he paused long enough that Kahlan instinctively moved her hand in a go on gesture, “we need you to come to Confess a Mord-Sith we have in custody, we’ve already gotten the necessary paperwork from the courts...”

Kahlan’s face went slack, “Absolutely not. If you wish me to speak with Rachel again, I happily will, but I will not murder a woman just so that you can obtain information from her. Not to mention the fact that you two are the only ones who even know that I’m a Confessor. I would lose my job if they found out.”

“Listen, Kahlan, we aren’t asking this lightly. We know what it would mean if you did this,” Richard smiled.

“Do you, Richard?” Kahlan felt her temper flaring and she took a deep breath, “It’s not just my livelihood you’re asking me to give up here, it’s my entire life. I would be taken into custody the second I finished helping you, spirited away to some cloister where I would twiddle my thumbs all day waiting for government officials to come force me to make slaves of people because they believe it is more humane to Confess someone than it is to simply kill them. We are glorified executioners and the best I could hope for would be to one day become Mother Confessor and try to reason with deaf state officials that we should not be used in this manner. And that is the best case scenario. Worst case scenario, I go to one of these cloisters and it is attacked by Mord-Sith and once I’m ‘trained,’ I become some rich man’s plaything the best case in that situation is that I would not live through the breaking. Do any of these things sound like things you would like for yourselves?”

Richard cleared his throat awkwardly and stared at his feet. Zedd looked pained by the options given a Confessor in their world, “There is another option,” he started.

“You mean that I submit to a Rada’Han and lose a piece of myself for the rest of my life? Would you like to be chained, wizard?” Kahlan tightened into herself, her hands balled into fists over her chest.

Richard desperately wanted to reach out and place a comforting hand on Kahlan’s shoulder. He fought the urge. Calmly, he continued where Zedd left off, “We are recruiting a task force. A contingent of Mord-Sith have been captured by Darken Rahl. Perhaps you’ve heard of him, he’s the Keeper’s most effective agent in hunting Confessors.”

“I have heard of him,” Kahlan replied flatly. 

A vision flashed in front of Kahlan, her sister folding in a heap at her feet, blood pouring from her chest, hands closing around the bullet wound. Dennee whispering for Kahlan to run. Kahlan begging her sister to get up then eventually leaving her dying sister behind in a blur of tears and rage, the Con Dar threatening to take her over. Kahlan running until her legs and lungs could not take it anymore. Kahlan praying to the Creator, begging her to let her sister have died before Rahl’s men reached her.

Kahlan shook her head and took a steadying breath and glared at Richard. Reluctantly, he continued, “We need a Confessor and the Aydindril cloister is being…”

Zedd cleared his throat in warning. Richard continued, “Difficult,” he smiled at Zedd, “We need a Confessor.”

Kahlan sighed, “Do I have a choice?” she ran her fingers through her long hair.

Zedd sighed, “Miss Amnell, I am not in the habit of threatening people unduly. This is not a threat, we are merely asking.”

Richard nodded enthusiastically, “If we threatened you with turning you in, how would we be any better than the people we’re trying to capture?”

Kahlan put her purse down and went to sit on her couch. She bit the inside of her cheek. Richard and Zedd stood around the door, quietly. “If I agree to this, what happens when this is all done?” Kahlan looked up between the two men.

“We have been given permission to give new identities to all those who assist us,” Zedd explained.

Kahlan’s eyes narrowed in distrust. 

“If we survive this and take down Rahl and the Keeper, you will be given a new life that you may lead wherever and however you see fit,” Zedd reiterated.

Kahlan sighed, she could see he was telling the truth, “You don’t expect those who help you to survive do you?”

“Of course!” Richard encouraged.

_Liar,_ Kahlan groaned and glared at him.

“No,” Zedd supplied, “What we will ask of the Confessor—and Mord-Sith if we can get one—will not likely turn out well.”

“Thank you, Zedd.”

Richard blushed and shrugged.

“May I have the day to think about it?” Kahlan conceded, “I will meet with you and Rachel if you need me to but I need to consider this.”

“Of course,” Richard smiled, his boundless optimism should have grated on her nerves but a tiny part of her found it endearing.

Kahlan nodded slowly. Zedd leaned down and handed her a card, “That’s the location we would like you to meet us at today.”

Kahlan nodded again. “Talk to you soon, Kahlan,” Richard grinned.

She rose and followed them to the door to see them out. Kahlan waited until she had given them a chance to get out of her building before picking up her purse again. She pulled out her phone and opened the photo of herself and Dennee. “Damn it,” she whispered and put her phone away again. She pulled her keys off the table by the door and locked up her apartment. Since she left later than usual, traffic leading downtown was heavier than she normally had to face. 

Kahlan sat in the far left lane of the highway, her hands wringing the steering wheel. The radio dully played in the background. She tuned it out and rolled down her windows. The air conditioning in her older model Toyota had gone out weeks ago and she had yet to get it repaired. She rolled both windows and the roof open, reveling in the cool August breeze. Traffic slowly started to creep. A motorcycle rolled up next to her. She turned to face the noise and met sparkling green eyes. Kahlan flushed. The helmetless blonde woman in a tight black leather jacket flashed her a smile as her eyes raked over Kahlan’s torso, once her eyes came back up to rest on Kahlan’s, she winked and rolled away.


	4. Cara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently Cara's sections require content warnings. Sorry y'all. There's a brief line of implied non-consent during the Flashback. If you think it might be a problem just skip the last couple lines of the flashback section.

Cara weaved her motorcycle through traffic. She smiled to herself at the jealous glares she knew she received from the people trapped in their vehicles. She turned and wove across three lanes to her exit. The urge to wave mockingly at the people she left behind ebbed away. She pulled into the parking lot of the social services building. Her eyes drifted up to the third floor where her destination awaited. She unzipped her jacket and ran her hands through her newly shoulder length hair.

_Two Days Ago_

Cara gritted her teeth and bit back a sneer. Triana snapped the scissors open and closed in front of her face several times, in blatant mocking. A Mord-Sith’s hair is a point of pride. That Lord Rahl commanded Cara’s hair be cut, despite assertions that it was not punishment, stung. She ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth against her new tooth and snarled, “Just get this over with, Triana.”

Triana grabbed Cara’s braid, a little tighter than was necessary, jerking Cara’s head back. It was a slight power play and Cara debated retaliating. Instead, she stared blankly into the mirror in front of her. She watched Triana cut her braid off and swing it contemptuously behind her. Cara’s eyes narrowed and she began uncoiling the remaining braid on top of her head. She shook her blonde hair free and ran a brush through it. Behind her, Triana handed the scissors off to Dahlia. Dahlia squeezed Cara’s shoulder before trimming and shaping her hair, adding slight layers to frame her face. Cara watched Dahlia work around her. When she finished, Cara was left alone in the bathroom to colour her hair its usual golden blonde.

Cara stripped out of her leathers to stand in her under garments in front of one of the many full length mirrors in the grand spa-like bathroom. Gently, she placed her fingers against the yellow-green bruises along her ribcage. She carefully turned and lifted her arm revealing a long, jagged scar from her first breaking. Cara sighed and examined her face. The scar in her hairline still looked pink, the stitches only out for a couple of days.

After she rinsed the dye out of her hair in the shower, she filled the large claw foot tub with near scalding water to soak her still sore muscles. She brushed her hair while she waited and attempted pulling it into a ponytail. She rolled her eyes and stalked over to turn off the water before settling on pulling her hair back with a clip. She disrobed the rest of the way and slowly sank into the tub, luxuriating in the feel of the soft water against her skin. Her eyes drifted closed until the door opened. She leaned her head up, “My Lord Rahl.”

Darken Rahl looked at Cara’s body in the water hungrily. She inhaled and stared tiredly at him as he trailed up behind her. “I have a task for you Cara. I was informed of a young girl who was left behind in the midst of her breaking. The police have found her. I would like her retrieved,” he ran his fingers along her collar bone, “Or eliminated,” he flicked water from his hands and turned to leave, “When you finish your bath, you will join me in my room.”

“Yes, my Lord Rahl,” Cara responded flatly.

_Present_

Thus Cara stood in the elevator, patiently awaiting it to open at the third floor. Her eyes rolled up to the screen displaying her location. At the ding, she stepped forward and screwed on a worried frown she hoped expressed concern. A slightly older woman sat at the front desk. She opened the door and half ran through to the desk. The woman’s eyebrows knit together, “May I help you?”

“Please, I’m looking for my sister. I was out of the country…our parents were murdered. The police, they said they brought her here. Someone’s taken her and I don’t…” she wiped at her cheeks and searched the woman’s eyes.

“Okay, honey, calm down and tell me your name,” Verna patted the woman’s hand supportively then motioned to chairs for them to sit in.

Cara nodded and swallowed. She slumped into the chair next to Verna, still speaking quickly, “I’m sorry. I just I don’t know who took my sister or where. I need to know that she’s okay.”

“Tell me your name and your sister’s name and I’ll see what I can do, okay?” Verna smiled.

“My name is Cara and my sister…my sister’s name is Rachel,” her eyes kept a frantic edge to them.

“Rachel? Little red head?”

Cara nodded fiercely, “Yes. Yes that’s her. Please!”

“Oh, my dear. That was a month ago, your grandparents picked her up. I’m surprised they didn’t tell you.”

Cara sobered, “Oh thank the Creator,” and she exhaled, her shoulders dropping.

Verna nodded still confused, “I’m surprised your grandparents didn’t let you know she’s all right.”

Cara wiped again at her cheeks, “They may have. My phone died and I only got through the police’s message. I’ve been out of touch for a while with school,” Cara explained, “I’m sorry but may I have a glass of water, I’ve worried myself ill, I’m afraid.”

Verna’s discomfort was slowly growing but she nodded and left Cara sitting alone in the lobby. Once Verna was out of sight, Cara bolted up from the chair to Verna’s computer and typed in Rachel’s name. She copied the address of the girl’s grandparents hastily and made her way back to her chair before Verna could return. Cara smiled when the woman came back with a cup filled with cold water. “Thank you so much, ma’am. I’m so sorry for my state.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she studied Cara.

Cara sipped on the liquid then handed the cup back to Verna, “I should head over to Nanna and Papa’s house. Thank you for being so patient,” she smiled again.

“Mmm hmm,” Verna responded, taking the cup from her.

Cara felt the woman’s eyes on her as she exited the lobby and headed back downstairs. She did not bother with the elevator, instead hopping quickly down the stairs in case the woman got too suspicious. At the ground floor, Cara pushed open the door and pulled her sunglasses out of an inner pocket of her jacket. She placed them on her nose and sauntered through the parking lot towards her bike. She zipped her jacket back up and palmed her keys. Her eyes scanned the parking lot for threats. A woman bending over into her car caught her eye and she momentarily paused with a tilt of her head to enjoy the view. The woman stood up and pulled a purse strap over her shoulder. She recognized those startlingly blue eyes and laughed to herself. The woman’s forehead wrinkled in a blend of confusion and recognition. Cara simply smirked and put a little extra swing into her step as she continued to her motorcycle.

The address was on the complete other end of town so it took Cara nearly an hour to reach her destination. The house sat in the middle of a busy side street. She surveyed her surroundings as she walked up the driveway to the front door. She slid her sunglasses up on top of her head and knocked. It was only a moment before she heard shuffling and latches clicking. Cara smiled broadly, an older woman opened the door, “Can I help you?” she asked.

“Yes, hi,” Cara extended her hand to the woman, she continued as they shook, “I’m from Child Protective Services. My supervisors sent me to pick up Rachel today for a visit. Is she home, ma’am?”

“Oh you just missed her, the police picked her up. I thought they said she was meeting your people at the warehouse,” the woman puzzled.

Cara took her cellphone from her pocket and pretended to open her email. She clicked her tongue, “Ah, you’re right. I misread the email. The warehouse near where the police found her, right?” Cara looked up at the woman innocently.

“That’s right,” she nodded.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you. We’re so spread thin. Have a nice day, ma’am,” Cara apologized and walked briskly back to her bike.

She pulled her sunglasses back down and rode down the street around the corner before pulling out her phone again. She dialed the speed dial. “Cara,” Denna answered.

“Send a few sisters to the warehouse. The police are on their way now with the girl,” Cara commanded.

Denna scoffed at the tone, “I will inform Lord Rahl.”

“Quickly, Denna. I’ll meet them there,” Cara hung up before Denna could respond.

Cara shoved the phone into her inside pocket and jetted off in the direction of the warehouse. She flexed her foot on the gas, pushing her bike as quickly as it would go on the side streets and onto the highway. Traffic had cleared substantially since earlier.

After what felt like forever but in reality was less than twenty minutes, she barreled into the gravel parking area near the warehouse. It was in a largely abandoned industrial complex. She turned off the engine, rolled the motorcycle off to an obscure area and dropped the kickstand. Her coat, she flung onto the back of the seat, baring her tight red tank top. She flipped open a saddlebag and pulled out her red leather harness containing her Agiel. With her harness strapped to her leg, she rushed toward the back entrance and the tunnels under the basement while she pulled on her red leather gloves. Cara crept quietly through the door hidden behind an old rusty shelf. She leaned up against the door after she closed it to listen.

Before long, she heard heavy steps descend the stairs to the basement. Four sets, she cocked her head to the side, two men, one woman and a child. Cara closed her eyes and pushed away from the door to sink deeper into the training room. Her eyes took only a moment to adjust to the dark of the area. She felt along the wall to orient herself while her eyes focused. The room was made to look like a cave to disorient the girls. A pit that mirrored the one Cara had been hung over was in the corner. She tiptoed over to it and quickly as she could, pulled the chain through a large metal ring making tiny clinks as it pulled through. She grimaced with each one but managed to get it out and then lowered it into the pit. The mixture of sweat, blood and piss sloshed and swallowed the thick chain beneath its surface.

Cara shook the vision of her most recent breaking from her mind. _Fear is weakness,_ she began repeating to herself. She placed a gloved hand on her Agiel. The current refocused her. A deep steadying breath later and she snuck back through the holding cell area. A rat scurried past her feet; involuntarily, she thrust her Agiel into the brown biter and shook herself. _Fear is weakness,_ she repeated again. Above her, she heard metal scraping against concrete. She could only assume they had finally found the doorway leading to the chamber. Cara slipped along the faux rock wall, feeling for the hidden panel. “It’s okay Rachel, if you feel too scared, we can leave. All you have to do is say so, all right?” Cara heard a woman’s voice, it was warm and kind.

Her fingers slid across the panel latch just outside the holding cell. She pulled her glove off with her teeth, one hand still holding her Agiel, and felt along the keypad to type in the code. The lock opened with a heavy thunk. Cara froze. It was still quiet outside. Finally a male voice, older sounding said, “Look around for a light switch.”

Cara watched flashlight beams dance along the fake stone. She swallowed and carefully pulled open the safe door. She pulled out the thumb drive and carefully closed the panel back. She sighed when it closed and pocketed the drive. The lights flickered on slowly, sluggish from disuse. Cara blinked quickly to adjust to the new light. _Where in the Creator’s name are they?_ she wondered at her sisters’ absence. _Fucking Denna, I swear I’ll kill her._

With the lights on, the voices resumed. “What do you remember about this room, Rachel?” a younger man asked.

Cara stole along the wall quietly in time with the voices in the next room. “This is where they…”a young girl started.

Cara’s eyes narrowed, _That must be Rachel,_ Cara stopped in the shadow of the doorway. The two men stood leaning over the blood pit; a woman and the child were a short distance back. The woman was kneeling with her arm around the girl’s shoulder. Cara’s eyebrow furrowed at the woman’s blue shirt, _You must be fucking joking,_ she shook her head and took a slow, quiet breath. The detectives turned abruptly, “What was this for?” the young one asked.

“Richard,” the old man hissed.

Richard turned to the old man and shrugged a, “what?” at him. The old man sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation. He looked down at Rachel who huddled closer to the woman. “Is this where the training took place, my child?” he asked.

Rachel nodded jerkily, her ponytail swung wildly behind her. The woman squeezed Rachel’s shoulder, “You’re doing great, Rachel,” Cara could hear the soft smile in the woman’s voice.

Richard smiled broadly, “You’re doing great, kid,” he even added a thumbs up.

Cara rolled her eyes then looked around her for the best vantage point to surprise the quartet. She moved silently to the back of the cave just inside the cell. She was counting on the door to work as a funnel and the shadows to hide her. She coiled back like a snake waiting for her prey to draw near enough to strike. The Agiel sent spikes of electricity up her arm. Her adrenaline coursed through her body. A smile curled across her lips and she waited.


	5. Kahlan and Cara

“Is this the first time you’ve been out here?” Kahlan stood and asked, barely keeping annoyance out of her voice.

“Well, no…” Richard started and knit his eyebrows together apologetically, “This area is pretty big and we couldn’t find the entrance.”

Kahlan rolled her eyes, “Some Seeker you are,” she muttered under her breath.

Rachel giggled. Kahlan’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth, not realizing she had spoken aloud. Rachel was still clasped to Kahlan’s side and Kahlan bumped her with her hip and winked. She cleared her throat and asked, “So how did you know where to look this time?”

Zedd straightened his back, “The Mord-Sith, the one we told you about, accidentally pointed us in the general direction. Early this morning, our officers informed us of this entrance. We planned on having young Miss Rachel see if she could identify the Mord-Sith today but decided this would make better use of our time.”

Kahlan ran her fingers through Rachel’s ponytail and smiled down at her. Rachel’s chest rose and fell quickly. Kahlan knelt down next to her and whispered her name. Rachel swallowed and turned wide eyes in Kahlan’s direction. “Rachel and I are going to get some fresh air, gentlemen, please excuse us,” Kahlan took Rachel’s hand in hers and led her, gently, back up the stairs. 

_Fuck,_ Cara rolled her eyes and sank deeper into the cell. The door above clanked closed and Richard resumed speaking, “So when are we going to tell Kahlan what we really need her for?”

Zedd groaned and walked to a table to shuffle through the papers strewn there, “Oh my dear boy that is not a conversation I imagine going well.”

Richard snorted and shook his head, “So here’s why we need you: Darken Rahl plans to enslave or kill all the Confessors, force them to do his and his allies’ bidding and set himself up as some sort of dictator,” he shook his head and leaned into the cell area, then shouted over his shoulder, “Oh yeah and your sister that you thought was dead isn’t, she’s Darken’s own personal plaything. Did we mention she’s pregnant? No? Yeah, she’s having a baby by the man that you thought killed her. Oh AND he’s using her to Confess anyone and everyone that disagrees with him. So we need you to get yourself caught so we can find them all,” Richard wandered in the room, while he spoke.

Cara’s brow furrowed and she rolled her eyes at the younger detective’s proclivity to monologue. Her knuckles whitened over her Agiel. The spike was stronger than it had been a moment ago. She looked at the way she was crouched. _Creator,_ she sighed, shifting her weight off her knees and moving out of a kneeling position. _How many Rahls can there possibly be?_ she eyed the man with his scruffy face, big brown eyes and floppy hair. He looked like a puppy. She closed her eyes, willing it to be a coincidence. The pull was there. Faint more like a whisper than a shout, which explained why she did not notice it. Her mind swirled with questions. She loathed the feeling of uncertainty; her teeth ground together. She needed to hit something and so she found herself lunging at Richard. She collided into him, shoving him backwards against the open door. 

The movement was too fast for Richard to register or reach for his gun under his arm. Cara thrust the Agiel into his chest. He groaned from the pain and clenched his eyes closed. She pulled the blunt stick away and hit him across the temple. He slumped and she pulled the gun from his holster as he slid down the door. Zedd had rushed to the doorway, calling for Richard. Cara heard him speaking, but the thundering of adrenaline in her ears narrowed her perceptions to the thrill of violence. He lifted his hands toward her; Cara licked the back of one of her canines and smiled sadistically as she mirrored his motion with gun and Agiel still in each hand. The concussive wave he thrust at her, she easily redirected back. Zedd flew backwards into the wall behind the blood pit. He crumpled onto the floor with a thud and a groan. Cara grinned and loped up toward the stairs; with her Agiel placed back in her holster, she transferred the gun to her dominant hand. “Stop!” Richard shouted hoarsely behind her.

Instinctively, her body paused at the command from a Rahl. Cara swung her head angrily around to glare at Richard. Shock registered on Richard’s face that his command actually worked. He tried again, “Drop the gun.”

Cara fought a scream of frustration as the gun clattered against the concrete steps. Richard slid up the doorframe back to his feet, blinking his eyes rapidly, fighting the grogginess of a concussion. Cara cocked her head to the side as she willed her legs to move and ignore the pull. Richard grimaced, “Come here.”

Cara began stepping forward reluctantly. She huffed, clenching and unclenching her fists as she slowly walked down the steps. Zedd groaned and drew Richard’s attention. Cara exhaled sharply and bolted back up the stairs and out the door. She closed the door behind her and shoved the metal shelf back in front of it. After quickly checking her surroundings, she tiptoed back to the open door she entered the building through.

Kahlan knelt and sat back on her heels, trying to keep her weight off her knees and subsequently the gravel from grinding through her black slacks into them. She was in front of Rachel, walking her through slow, deep breathing. The girl struggled but Kahlan kept a patient, supportive smile on her face. “You’re doing really well, Rachel,” she inhaled and nodded as Rachel mirrored.

The grating screech of metal across concrete drew Kahlan’s attention away from Rachel. She swiveled on her toes and placed Rachel behind her. The little girl’s erratic breathing ratcheted up again. Kahlan reached a hand back toward her and muttered words of comfort while her eyes scanned the building. She turned halfway toward Rachel, something felt off to Kahlan and she learned long ago to trust her instincts, “We’re going to go to my car now, okay Rachel? Nice and slow,” Kahlan kept her eyes trained on the metal structure.

Rachel gripped Kahlan’s hand tightly. Kahlan rose fluidly clutching her keys in her free fist, the keys forming a makeshift metal claw. Rachel walked toward Kahlan’s car, Kahlan turned toward her vehicle; her senses remained vigilant as they drew closer to their goal. From her periphery, Kahlan caught a flash of red hurrying toward the tree line and heard the shuffling of gravel in the opposite direction. Kahlan unlocked the passenger door of her car. She ushered Rachel inside and gave her the keys, pressing her fingers around them to create the claw within Rachel’s fist. Kahlan reached behind the seat, pulled a duffle bag toward her and slipped her pair of Escrima sticks from their case. “Do not unlock the door under any circumstances, do you understand me? Nod if you do,” Rachel nodded and Kahlan continued, eyeing around the car, “If they break through the windows you stab them with the keys and scream as loud as you can.”

Rachel nodded wildly as Kahlan stood up, kicking off her heels and slammed the door behind her. She held a two foot stick in each hand, took a steadying breath and squared her weight over her feet. The stick in her right hand, she absently twirled as she watched three women clad in blood red leather stalk toward her. She kept her ears trained behind her on the other threat that lurked in the woods. A tall brunette held up her hands, “Now, now. We’re here for the girl. There’s no reason you can’t walk away unharmed.”

“You can’t have her,” Kahlan replied calmly as she held the sticks over her shoulders.

The air seemed to electrify for a moment with the removal of the Agiels from their holsters. The two smaller blondes rushed forward past the brunette toward Kahlan. Kahlan bent to the side, dodging the first bludgeoning swipe and deflected the second with her stick. Wood and Agiel clashed together in hollow wooden clicks. Kahlan spun around the weapons wielded like battering rams. Cara’s eyes narrowed from her viewpoint, watching two of the newer Mord-Sith flail stupidly around a tornado of strikes and parries from Kahlan. She could not help but smile at the beauty of the dance the Confessor laid out in front of her. Triana watched patiently, judging Kahlan’s movements, looking—Cara knew—for cracks in her defense. There. Cara crashed forward a moment before Triana moved.

Kahlan’s hair whipped around her face as she grasped the neck of the only blonde still standing. Black swirled out from her pupils as she thrust her power into the woman. The blonde went pliant beneath her hand. “Command me, Confessor,” she cried when her eyes cleared back to palest blue.

Kahlan looked up at the brunette barreling toward her, “Defend me,” she commanded. 

Kahlan staggered, gripping both Escrima in one hand and steadied herself, shaking away fatigue. Above her, she heard the crash of Agiels against one another. She tumbled out of the way of an Agiel crashing down at her head. She hazarded a glance up from her crouching position a few feet away from where a new blonde smiled down at her. “You!” Kahlan whispered.

Cara winked and kissed in Kahlan’s direction as she mule kicked the confessed Mord-Sith charging her from behind. The girl flew backwards and skidded across the gravel. Kahlan marshalled her strength and got back to her feet in time to parry a blow from Triana. Cara stalked toward the confessed girl. She reared her Agiel back to strike but the girl curled into herself and screamed. It startled both Cara and Triana and they turned to stare as the girl convulsed and screamed for several long seconds then quieted. Kahlan took the momentary distraction to back up a couple of feet and resquare her stance. Triana was closer and lunged the quickest with a shriek. Kahlan batted away the one handed attacks with her sticks, twirling and parrying on the spot. Cara hesitantly reached for the dead girl before curling her fists around her Agiel, steadying herself in the pain that sang across her taut muscles. Vaguely she heard male shouting behind her. She joined the fray before she could make out any words; her perception pinned solely on the twin sticks spinning furiously around the woman in the blue shirt that matched her eyes. “Police! Drop your weapons!” Richard shouted, now standing only a few feet from the brawling women.

Cara and Triana stalled instantly. Cara growled as her Agiel struck the dirt at her feet. Her chest heaved as she glared at Kahlan. Triana hesitated long enough for Kahlan to wrap her long fingers around her neck. Triana’s eyes widened and she gasped. “No,” she whined, “Not like this. I demand an honourable death.”

Kahlan’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Cara gritted her teeth and fought the pull to retake her Agiel. She thrust it into Triana’s side. Kahlan let go abruptly, yelping in pain. Triana gritted her teeth and smiled viciously at Kahlan. Cara felt Richard shouting at her to stop. She willed the voice away and set her jaw. Triana screamed and fell to her knees, drowning out Richard’s voice. Her body fell with a thud on the gravel. Cara allowed herself a slight smile, “No sister deserves to die at a Confessor’s hand,” she glared at Kahlan.

“Put down the weapon!” Richard shouted again.

Cara released her grip on the Agiel and laced her fingers behind her head. Taking a knee, she replied sardonically, “As the Lord Rahl commands.”


	6. Richard

Richard paced in front of the interrogation window. His face had remained twisted in a scowl since that morning when the Mord-Sith had called him Lord Rahl. The clock over the one-way mirror read 4pm. He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair that desperately needed a cut. In the room through the window, Zedd sat calmly in front of the Mord-Sith Cara. Richard tried to pay attention he glared at the woman through squinted eyes. “All right, Cara, once more please,” Zedd requested.

Cara rolled her eyes, “How many times would you like me to say the same thing, old man? I cannot tell you anything about Richard’s parentage beyond the pull we Mord-Sith feel in the presence of a Rahl. You would do better to ask the puppy or his mother.”

Cara sat with her legs crossed at the knee, arms resting lightly on the table and a look of boredom painted across her face. Had she been anywhere other than the police station, she would not risk quite such boldfaced insolence knowing a Rahl stood nearby. Zedd dropped the pen he had been holding. Cara’s eyes rolled down to the sound and back up to the wizard’s drawn face. A knock sounded against the glass behind them. Cara inclined her head to the sound. Zedd cleared his throat, gathered his paper and pen and excused himself. Cara lifted her arms from the table as high as the handcuffs would allow and wiggled her fingers in his direction, “I’ll have some water, wizard. Thank you for offering,” she turned her gaze to glare at her reflection in the mirror and beyond where she knew Richard watched.

Zedd opened the door to the next room. Richard stood with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, his face downcast. “Chin up, my boy,” Zedd tried.

Richard set his jaw and shook his head. He ran his hands through his hair then slid them down his cheeks, “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that she’s telling the truth. It’s completely possible. What kind of leverage does that give us in taking down Darken if I’m…spirits help us…if I’m his brother.”

Zedd sighed and shook his head, “Your commands seem to have some sway over the Mord-Sith. We know so little about their breaking. If we could find out how Darken came to control them, perhaps we could turn them against him somehow? We have three of them in custody now, perhaps your sway could be used on one of them?” Zedd knew he was grasping at straws, he pushed his unbuttoned shirt sleeves up, “This, Cara, responded most strongly to your commands. We could…try?”

Richard bit the inside of his cheek and studied the woman through the mirror. She had leaned back in her chair, both feet planted on the floor and currently studied the ceiling tiles. Richard squared his shoulders and moved toward the door. As he passed Zedd, the old man put a hand on Richard’s shoulder, “You can do this, my boy.”

Richard nodded and took a deep breath standing outside the interrogation room door. He turned the handle and entered. Cara lazily turned to face the door. “I wondered when you were coming, Lord Rahl,” she sneered and sat forward.

Her chair hit the floor with a clink. She leaned forward and clasped her hands together in front of her. Richard pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down a short distance away from the table. He shifted uncomfortably and stared at Cara’s hands. Cara unfolded them and leaned forward placing her chest in his sightline. Richard cleared his throat and looked up at Cara’s smirking green eyes. Cara leaned back again, lip twisted in a lopsided grin. “And what is it you would like from me, Lord Rahl.”

Richard grimaced, “First, I’d like for you to stop calling me Lord Rahl. Detective Cypher or Richard work just fine.”

Cara’s eye glinted, “Mmm, how about Dick?”

Richard’s cheeks flushed in a flash of fury, “Enough!”

He slammed his hand against the table. Cara’s smile shifted to something more sinister. This, she knew. She sat quietly, waiting for her next command. Richard’s chest rose and fell slowly as he calmed himself. “Tell me about the Mord-Sith,” he said blankly.

“You’ll have to be more specific than that,” she sighed, returning to her mask of boredom.

“How did Darken manage to take control of you and your sisters?” he clarified.

Cara licked her lips and inhaled before speaking, “May I have some water first?”

Richard nodded and exited the room. Cara chewed on her lip. Richard turned moments later with a Styrofoam cup filled with cool water. Cara took it and thanked him, careful to avoid touching him, having been stripped of her gloves. Richard sat back down across from her, this time, leaning on the table with his hands folded. She sipped leisurely, asking between drinks, “Is this yours and the old man’s idea of good cop, bad cop? Because it’s reading more like nice cop, nicer cop. How do you ever get anything accomplished this way?”

Richard shrugged and repeated the question he asked before leaving the room. He watched Cara, in what he assumed was her version of a nervous tick. She stared blankly over his head at the mirror. After several long seconds, she rolled her eyes down to his seeking brown eyes. “That answer is…complicated.”

“Then make it easy for a simple farm boy to understand,” he replied.

“Mord-Sith require the power in the blood of a Rahl in order to exist. There are a number of sects across the country not directly controlled by a Rahl. My sisters were one such group until our Lord Rahl…claimed us,” Cara spoke the last with such venom Richard involuntarily leaned back from the table.

“How did he ‘claim’ you as you said?” Richard asked.

Cara sighed, “As we were training a new group of girls, Rahl’s D’Harans dropped a series of grenades of some sort into our home. We were incapacitated and removed to his estate where we were rebroken.”

“Rebroken?”

“Yes,” Cara hissed.

Richard sighed, “What does that mean?”

“Are you commanding me to tell you?” Cara demanded.

Richard exhaled and rubbed his hands over his stubble, “Yes. I’m sorry but I am.”

A mask fell over Cara’s face as she began coldly recounting the details of her torture at the hands of her sisters and Darken. When she finished, Richard felt ill. Cara drained the rest of her water, returned the cup to the table and trained her gaze on the mirror again. Richard swallowed thickly. Multiple questions chased through his mind at once. He stared at the woman’s emotionless face while he tried to pick which question train to follow. Cara’s eyes dropped to Richard’s. “What is your next command, Richard?” she growled.

“Why do you respond to my commands, if Darken ignited the bond in you? Should you not respond only to his commands? You seem more apt than your sisters to listen to me,” he finally settled.

“I don’t know. Perhaps I was too thoroughly broken and now any Rahl may command me as his leisure,” Cara returned her eyes to her own reflection over Richard’s head.

“How is that bond broken?” Richard continued.

Cara sighed and leaned back, crossing her legs, “I am uncertain.”

“Whose command would you follow if given conflicting orders from myself and Darken?”

Cara grinned, “You seek the power for yourself,” she laughed darkly, “Your pull is barely a whisper. I would, without hesitation, follow Darken’s command.”

Richard balked, “I don’t want to control you…or anyone, I just want to know how it works.”

Cara laughed again, “Keep telling yourself that, farm boy.”

Richard shook his head and refocused, “Where is Darken’s estate?”

Cara’s eyes narrowed, “Are you truly so foolish that you want to go there? Anyone you brought would die.”

“Cara. Tell me the address,” Richard was done with this conversation and wanted the information so he could leave and wash this conversation away.

Cara shook her head and conceded, sharing the location. Richard pushed away from the table. Cara leaned forward again as his hand reached for the door. “Am I to be Confessed now?” Cara demanded.

Richard’s brows knit together in confusion. He turned to look at her before responding, “Is that what you want?”

Cara scoffed, “Never. No Mord-Sith deserves such a terrible fate.”

Richard nodded distantly and opened the door, “Someone will be here soon to book you.”

With that, he closed the door behind him and returned to the observation room. Zedd stood in front of the window, watching Cara who simply sat back and gazed at the window blankly. Richard thudded onto a chair. He slumped forward and rested his head on his hands, scratching his beard. “Perhaps we can convince one of the other Mord-Sith to tell us how to break the bond,” Zedd pondered more to himself than to Richard.

“I don’t want to transfer her bond to me. I’d rather not make a slave,” Richard exhaled.

“There must be a way, my boy, we will find it,” Zedd laid a reassuring hand on Richard’s shoulder and left him alone in the room.


	7. Kahlan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take a gander at the new tags. If you've any concerns about the new tags, skip the italicised section near the end of the chapter.

Kahlan drummed her fingers against the sides of the stiff plastic chair she had been sitting in for the last three hours. Rachel’s grandparents came and picked up the girl hours ago. Upon seeing the shaking girl, they expressly forbid the police from traumatizing their granddaughter further. Kahlan had smiled at that, glad that Rachel had people who cared enough about her to protect her. Zedd had requested that Kahlan be patient a little while longer while they wrapped up with the Mord-Sith. The clock over the large front desk read six o’clock.

Kahlan huffed and stomped toward the officer at the desk. “If someone comes looking for me, please tell them that I’ve just stepped outside.”

The scrawny blonde man raised a bored eyebrow and nodded. Kahlan rolled her eyes when she turned away and dug her phone out of her purse once she was past the precinct doors. She groaned at the early evening heat, sweat immediately beaded on her forehead as she punched in the number of the office. “Hello, this is—” Verna started.

“Verna, it’s Kahlan,” she interrupted. 

“Ah, I wondered if we’d hear from you today,” Verna smiled.

Kahlan groaned into the phone in response. “That sounds like a story,” Verna continued.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Kahlan shook her head dismally, “Any messages?”

“No. Surprisingly, people are happy when CPS workers reschedule appointments,” Verna’s sarcasm was not lost on Kahlan who chuckled softly in response.

“How was your day? Not too terrible, I hope?” Kahlan asked.

“Had some interesting folks in and out. You came and went so quickly this morning, I didn’t have a chance to tell you,” Verna started, “Did you know Rachel has a sister?”

Kahlan straightened and glared back at the police station, “Let me guess, blonde hair, green eyes, black leather jacket?”

Over the phone, Kahlan heard Verna shift in her seat, “Uh, yeah. How’d you know?””

“She was a Mord-Sith,” Kahlan responded.

Verna exhaled suddenly, “Creator, Kahlan, I told her Rachel was staying with her grandparents and left her alone in the lobby. Shit!”

“It’s okay, she’s in police custody. We had a bit of a run-in at the warehouse,” Kahlan responded, her shoulders slumped with the weight of the day, “Rachel’s fine. Physically.”

“And how are you?” Verna asked.

Kahlan shrugged and ran a hand through her tangled hair, “I need a shower, a meal and a nap.”

“I’ll mark you out on the calendar tomorrow. Tell the police a work emergency came up and you have to go out of town or something,” Verna offered.

Kahlan smiled. She did not have many friends but she counted Verna among them, “Thanks Verna. We’ll see what time they let me leave. I may just do that,” Kahlan turned back toward the building in time to see Richard loping down the stairs toward her, “I have to go, Verna. Have a nice night.”

“You too. See you not tomorrow,” Verna smiled.

“Bye.”

Richard stopped in front of Kahlan as she ended the call. She noticed how ragged he looked. “You look exhausted,” she said kindly.

Richard smiled but it did not reach his eyes, “Long day. We just need you for a few more minutes. If you wouldn’t mind following me?” he gestured back to the building.

Kahlan shoved her phone back in her purse and followed Richard back inside. Zedd was shaking the hand of a tall woman with black hair. Kahlan stiffened, recognizing the long white dress of the Aydindril cloister. The woman turned and brushed past Kahlan who had not realized she was holding her breath. She exhaled as she turned to watch the woman disappear down the stairs to the street where she hailed a cab. “Alanna has Confessed two of the Mord-Sith in custody,” Zedd explained.

Kahlan’s stomach sank recalling the brunette from earlier begging her not to be Confessed and the young blonde girl that writhed on the ground, screaming. She swallowed thickly and glared up at Zedd, “I hope it was worth it.”

Zedd lowered his head and moved as if to place his hand on Kahlan’s shoulder. She glared at the movement and he recoiled. Kahlan sighed, “Sorry.”

Zedd shook his head, “There’s no need to apologize. It wasn’t something we did lightly.”

Richard exhaled loudly, drawing their attention, “Can we just get on with it and rip all these bandages off?”

He started walking briskly past the front desk. Zedd looked tired and slumped, motioning Kahlan to follow Richard. Zedd buzzed himself and Kahlan through the gate leading to the booking area. Kahlan entered the door Richard held open for her at the end of a long hall. The room was small and dark. A one-way mirror looked into a room holding only a metal chair and table with restraint holds on it. Richard stared at the wall in front of him and absently ran his hand through his hair. Kahlan crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto one foot. Zedd moved around Kahlan and sat on one of the chairs. Kahlan quickly ran out of things in the room and the room behind the mirror to look at and huffed impatiently. Richard suddenly turned around, his face twisted in a scowl. He opened his mouth then closed it. Zedd leaned forward in the chair, placing his hands on his knees, “We’ve obtained the location of Darken Rahl’s estate from one of the Mord-Sith,” he began slowly.

Richard turned back around and stared at the wall. Zedd continued, “I’ve put in requests to other precincts across the country asking for all the information they have about the breaking process of Mord-Sith. We got some information from the two we Confessed, but not much outside of what we already knew. Darken has activated the bond between a group of Mord-Sith and himself. He effectively controls them.”

Kahlan pulled a chair toward her space near the door and sat down. “The pretty blonde one seemed to follow his directions easily enough,” Kahlan nodded at Richard who still faced the wall.

“Cara,” Zedd supplied.

Kahlan shrugged, “Was Cara Confessed?”

“No,” Richard finally stated, he turned around hesitantly.

“Good,” Kahlan responded.

“We know your history, Kahlan,” Richard blurted, Kahlan turned her cold glare toward him, he continued, “You sister is alive. She’s pregnant with Darken’s baby.”

Kahlan stared dumbly at Richard. “What?” her voice was soft.

“Darken and I are related. I can manipulate Cara’s bond,” Richard took a breath, “We need…”

“Dennee is alive? Proof. What proof do you have?” Kahlan careened into Richard.

He easily batted her hand aside and twisted her around with her arm behind her back. Kahlan took several slow deep breaths. After a moment, Richard released her arm. Kahlan sank back into her chair. A knock at the door broke the awkward silence that had descended on the room. A tall, broad shouldered man peeked inside, “Zorrander, Cypher, we got a hit on that information you requested,” the man said.

“Thank you, Chase,” Zedd replied and the man backed out of the room, “Miss Amnell, would you like us to get you a ride home? It will likely take a few days for us to sort out the Mord-Sith situation. We’ll update you as soon as we have something to update.”

“That’s it?” Kahlan laughed.

Zedd sagged in the chair, “Unfortunately for right now, there’s not much else we can do.”

Richard started forward. He walked past Zedd and Kahlan and closed the door behind him. Zedd stood up and placed his hand on Kahlan’s shoulder, “I’m sorry you found out about your sister like this.”

Kahlan swiped at tears streaming down her cheeks. Zedd removed his hand and opened the door, “I’ll give you a few minutes alone.”

The door closed behind her. Kahlan stared. Her breathing was shallow. Kahlan’s memories rushed back to her unbidden. She felt a pinch in her chest as adrenaline surged through her body. She shook her arms lightly at her sides fighting the heaviness settling in them. Flashes of her childhood blocked out everything orienting her to her current location. She saw her mother’s funeral. _Kahlan held Dennee’s hand, staring at the gaping mouth of the ground swallowing their mother’s casket. She felt her father’s rough hand on her shoulder as he led them away from the grave. Kahlan jolted at the sound of doors slamming somewhere in her periphery and her memories jumped to her drunken father stumbling around the house, slamming doors. She held Dennee close to her as they shoved themselves in the back of the closet. Their father slammed open the door with one hand and pointed a baseball bat at them with the other. ‘You, come with me,’ he pointed at Dennee but Kahlan stood up instead._

_He grimaced and involuntarily stepped back, fear and rage fighting for dominance on his face. ‘Fine,’ he conceded and Kahlan followed him. He led her outside to his truck. Kahlan climbed in the back. He shifted the vehicle into drive and led them into the woods. Kahlan gripped the side of the truck, her knuckles turned white from the effort to stay upright. Adrenaline coursed through her tiny body. For a brief, shining moment, Kahlan considered jumping out of the speeding vehicle. She stayed rooted to the spot, not wanting to leave Denne alone. The truck swerved and tossed Kahlan off the wheel well into the bed. Warm liquid trickled down from her cheek. She wiped at the blood and ran her hand on her sleeping gown. She curled into a ball. The truck slammed to a stop, throwing her again. Her father grabbed Kahlan by the gown and hurled her onto the ground. Kahlan scrambled to her feet. Her father prodded her forward with the baseball bat. She walked ahead of him slowly toward the office of the coal mine where he worked._

_A big man with a bald head and a beer belly yelled profanities at Kahlan’s father. ‘What the hell d’you think yer doin’ here? I fired you,’ he laughed. Kahlan shrank back, her father lashed out at the man with the bat. He doubled over and Kahlan’s father grabbed her again, by the gown and screamed in her face, ‘Confess him.’_

_Kahlan cried, ‘I don’t know how.’_

_‘Liar!’ her father screamed and backhanded her._

The door behind Kahlan swung open and she stifled a scream. Richard raised his hands and slipped into the room. Kahlan took a needed deep breath and blinked her eyes swiftly. “I’m sorry,” he started, “I shouldn’t have blurted all that out like that. Just because I’m having a day of inconvenient truths, didn’t mean that I should’ve been insensitive to you.”

Kahlan nodded acknowledgement of his words but did not move to speak. Richard sighed and turned back to exit the room. “Whatever plan you’re concocting, if it means I can get my sister back, I’m in,” Kahlan said.

“Okay,” Richard nodded, “I’ll let Zedd know.”

Kahlan stood and ran her hands down her front to smooth away some of the wrinkles she knew had collected over the course of the day. It was futile, of course, but the action helped center Kahlan as she exited the room, followed by Richard. Once in the relative privacy and safety of her car, Kahlan screamed. She pounded her fist against the door frame repeatedly. A few passersby glanced in the car but did not stop walking. Kahlan took a shuddering breath and pulled out of her parking spot.


	8. Cara

The accommodations of the cell were not as bad as many she had found herself in over the course of her life. Of course there was also no confusing her situation with a vacation at a fancy hotel, still the mattress was less uncomfortable than those in some motels she had bedded in. Cara clasped her hands behind her head and opened her eyes. She took in the sounds of the morning jail bustle all around her. “Mason, up. Hands behind your head and face the wall,” a deep voice instructed her.

Cara blinked slowly and glared at the man as she stood. He was attractive, she noted. A grin splayed across her face as he pulled her arms down and fastened the cuffs around them. “I can think of some better uses for these than this, Officer…” he turned her around and she leaned to his name tag, “Brandstone,” she smirked.

Chase rolled his eyes and grasped her forearm lightly to lead her from the cell, “Real original, Casanova.”

Laughter spilled from her before she could school her expression back to aloof, “If the classics work, why fix what isn’t broken?”

Chase took a turn laughing, “You can’t seriously tell me that line was worked before, we hear it at least 20 times a day.”

Cara shrugged, “I usually don’t wait until I’ve been brought in before I use it, but you’d be surprised at its effectiveness. One of the many tools in my belt, Officer Brandstone.”

Chase just shook his head and directed her down another corridor back toward the interrogation rooms. Cara busied herself in the silence, making note of the layout in case the opportunity presented itself to make use of the information. She mused to herself that it would be within her skill set to break herself out even without her Agiel. However, she stood to benefit from learning more about how much they thought they knew about Darken Rahl’s plans for the Confessors—particularly as she found herself at an apparent disadvantage in her own knowledge—not to mention that she would be going nowhere without her Agiel. It was as much a part of her body as her hands.

They finally arrived at the same interrogation room she had been in the day before. Cara casually leaned back to survey down the hallway toward where she knew was the front door. Chase chuckled as he pulled her inside the room. “Counting the number of folks you’d have to plow through to get out?” he rolled his eyes.

Cara smirked, “Once a predator, always a predator.”

She lowered herself onto the chair and laid her hand out on the table for Chase to attach the cuffs to the extension on the table. Chase looked at Cara, his brow creased in thought, she raised an eyebrow at him to which he crossed his arms over his broad chest, “Your behaviour didn’t speak to predator so much as it did prey, Mason.”

Cara’s expression drew hard and blank, she rolled her eyes up to him in annoyance and squinted, “I can count five ways I could kill you right now, Officer Brandstone. Does that speak of prey to you?”

Chase sighed and shook his head at her, “I’m not trying to insult you, Mason, I know you’re lethal. I’d be stupid to underestimate a Mord-Sith, but…” he stared into Cara’s angry eyes, “No one is always a predator. There’s always someone or something bigger and badder out there.”

Cara turned away and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The door clicked closed, her eyes slipped to the side and back forward again. She released her hands from the balls they’d involuntarily curled into, the sensation of her short nails digging into her skin, she immediately missed. Were her Agiel at her side, she would be enjoying the steadying pain. She tucked a tiny piece of her cheek between her teeth and bit down.

It seemed like ages of staring at her reflection, schooling each individual feature on her face to detached, disinterested boredom. Her eyes flicked from her nostrils to her lips, her forehead, her ears and her eyes. She relaxed each muscle group and dropped her shoulders in increments until her upper body had the look of someone unbothered by any cares in the world.

She took a moment to study her hands, clasped lightly in front of her. When the door opened, she turned toward the sound. “Lord Rahl,” she said and turned back to the mirror.

Richard sat down in the chair across from her. He rustled papers in a folder, she glanced down at him. He had bags under his eyes, his hair looked even more a mess than it had yesterday and he did not appear to have shaved. Cara returned her gaze over his head at the glass. “You look horrible,” she remarked.

Richard growled which drew Cara’s gaze again. She smirked and blew air through her nose in silent laughter. Then she felt his power roll out toward her. Her smirk grew wider. “Someone’s been practicing,” she grinned.

Richard clenched his fist around the pen in his hand. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. “I’m tired. Please keep the snark to a minimum,” he took a sip of coffee after he spoke.

A retort died on her lips and she dialed her expression back again. _That wasn’t a command. So why am I complying?_ She rolled her eyes at herself. Cara inhaled deeply, “If I am not to be Confessed, what, exactly, am I still doing here? What will the charges be? You cannot keep me for much longer without a charge. I know my rights.”

Richard sat his Styrofoam cup down and closed the folder with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Cara stared at him expectantly. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked at her like someone had just told him that Santa Claus was not real. In a different situation, it would have been comical. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again. “We need people on the inside. We are willing to cut a deal with anyone who assists us.”

Cara huffed, “Tell me, Richard, have you offered this ‘deal’ to anyone else?”

“Yes.”

“A Mord-Sith?”

“Two. And a Confessor.”

Cara leaned forward and stared into Richard’s eyes, “And when the Mord-Sith declined your offer, did the Confessor take their lives?”

Richard sighed and sipped again from his coffee, “They were Confessed but not how you think.”

“And what exactly is it that you think I think?” Cara glared.

Richard turned away, made uncomfortable by her stare, “They were not Confessed because they refused to help, they were Confessed because of the crimes they committed. A judge issued the order prior to our asking. The woman who Confessed them was not the same who we offered a deal to.”

“Did you attempt to use your bond to sway them?” Cara demanded.

The tips of Richard’s ears reddened, “Yes.”

“And did it work?”

“A bit.”

Cara looked toward the door then back at Richard and on to his cup of coffee, “Would it be too much to ask for a cup of coffee?”

Richard smiled at her and shook his head. He leaned back and tapped on the glass. They fell into silence until Zedd came through the door holding a steaming cup and two packets of sugar and a creamer. Cara chuckled at the service. “Thank you, wizard,” she responded and waved off all but the coffee.

Zedd whispered, though none too quietly, to Richard, “Kahlan’s here in the next room.”

Richard rolled his eyes and offered a weak smile to Zedd before he turned back to the door. “Tell me,” Cara interrupted, “Did either of you know the names of the women you murdered yesterday?”

Zedd looked sadly into Cara’s eyes and shook his head. Cara swallowed and turned toward Richard whose jaw muscles worked, he also shook his head. Zedd continued out of the room back to where Kahlan stood in front of the mirror with her arms crossed. Kahlan watched Cara pick up the cup and blow across the top before taking a sip. Cara’s eyes rolled back up to the glass and stared, unseeing, at Kahlan.

Richard stared at the papers in front of him. “Seeing as though we are little more than rabid beasts to you, why do you think any Mord-Sith would agree to help you?” Cara asked after another sip of coffee.

Richard nodded. He opened his mouth and Cara held up a finger, “And don’t say ‘because it’s the right thing to do’ or something equally stupid. Convince me of the logical benefit to your cause.”

Richard’s mouth snapped closed. His brows furrowed in thought. He wrapped his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair staring into Cara’s green eyes. “The bond you spoke about. It diminishes your free will, right?”

Cara nodded. Richard continued, “Did you have free will as a Mord-Sith before?”

Cara turned back to her reflection and gave a non-committal shrug.

Richard’s eyebrows drew together, “Do you remember what it’s like to have a free will to do what you want—within reason? What were you like before you became a Mord-Sith?”

Cara felt heat rush to her face and throat. Her eyes narrowed to slits, she crossed her legs under the table and raised her chin, “My history is none of your concern,” she spat, “If this is the extent of your convincing then I decline your offer.”

Richard groaned and leaned back against his chair, lifting the front two legs, “You are impossible.”

Cara shrugged as his chair thudded against the concrete upright again, “I could command you to tell me,” his tone was not outright threatening but the intent was clear.

“You could,” Cara glared over Richard’s head.

Richard rolled his eyes and stood up, “I need a break,” he placed his coffee cup between his teeth and gathered his papers and pen.

“Tell the wizard to bring me something to eat. I did not receive a meal this morning,” Cara demanded.

Richard shook his head and exited the room. Cara took a sip of her coffee after he left. Zedd let out an exasperated sigh. Kahlan turned away from the window to look back at him. Richard pushed through the door and winced at Kahlan, “Miss Amnell, good morning.”

She nodded at him and turned back to Cara, “You’re going about this all wrong,” she stated.

“You wanna give it a shot, be my guest? I’m beyond caring right now,” Richard conceded.

Zedd stepped toward Richard, “Perhaps you should go home and sleep for a few hours, my boy.”

Richard opened his mouth to argue but could not think of a single good reason. He simply nodded, picked up his jacket and exited the room. Zedd turned back to Kahlan after the door clicked closed and smiled warmly, “Were it up to you, how would you go about convincing her to help?”

“Well first of all, you don’t threaten to take away everything and everyone that means something to her.”

Zedd puzzled through Kahlan’s comment, his face scrunched in confusion. Kahlan sighed, “Clearly her ‘sisters,’ as she continually calls them, are her family unit. Offering her a new life after this strips her of her family. You have to phrase it differently. Richard may’ve been on the right track with breaking the connection to Darken Rahl but he let his value system distract him. Pointing out how getting rid of Darken would release her sisters from their blood bond and reminding her that Richard has no desire transfer that bond to himself is better than threatening to take away everything she knows and—in some twisted way—cares for. I agreed for the sake of my sister, why does it not make sense that she would do the same for the sake of her sisters?”

Kahlan returned her gaze to Cara. Zedd made a noise of agreement over her shoulder. Cara was leaned back in her chair. The Styrofoam cup was flipped over on the table, apparently drained of all liquid. Her fingers drummed idly against the metal while she examined the one-way mirror. Kahlan stared at her, a slight smile turning her lips, _we aren’t so terribly different in the end, are we?_


	9. Richard

Richard bolted awake and fumbled in the direction of his ringing cell phone. When he was finally able to wake up enough to slide his thumb across the screen to answer, he huffed a groggy, “Hello.”

He peeled a piece of paper off his cheek while listening to the voice on the other line drone. “Wait what?” he interrupted.

Zedd sighed loudly and repeated, “Cara has agreed to assist us. We need you back here.”

“Shit. Really?” Richard rubbed his eyes with a fist, “I’ll be there soon as I can.”

He stumbled through his small studio apartment to the bathroom. He took a quick shower to shake off the exhaustion and shaved before making his way back out to the station. The midafternoon sun blared down on his face. He squinted behind his aviator sunglasses, fighting a blistering headache that reignited as soon as he walked out of his building. The walk to the station was a short one. He picked his apartment specifically so he could walk to work rather than waste time and money driving. Of course, if he was honest, what he paid in astronomical rent probably outweighed the cost of car maintenance. Still, it was a trade-off he happily made.

He folded his sunglasses and slipped them in his pocket as soon as he stepped through the threshold of the station. Chase came around the front desk wearing jeans and a black tank top. He patted Richard on the shoulder. “Finally showered, huh? We’re all grateful.”

Richard rolled his eyes and shook his head. “See ya tomorrow, Chase. Tell Emma and the kids hi for me.”

“Sure thing, Cypher,” he waved over his shoulder as he made his way out of the building.

Richard took a deep breath and glanced at the clock over the desk: nearly five. Richard slumped. His extra-long—much needed—nap would eventually catch up with him in probably the worst way possible. He could already hear his gaming console calling him distantly. Down the hall, Richard turned away from the interrogation rooms toward the desk area he shared with Zedd. The desks were placed so that the partners could face one another and see all the entrances and exits in the room. Richard’s desk was messy. Files and folders lie strewn across the surface and partially over his keyboard. In comparison to Zedd’s desk, however, Richard’s looked to be the pinnacle of organization. He often wondered if Zedd used magic to keep everything contained to the top of his desk as each pile looked precariously like it would fall any moment.

“Ah there you are, my boy,” Zedd smiled broadly.

Richard nodded in his direction and made his way over to the snack table Zedd stood near. “Stuffing your face as usual I see,” Richard jibed.

Zedd extended to his full height and replied sternly, “A wizard requires more sustenance than the average person.”

Richard smiled and held his hands up in surrender, “All right. All right. Now please tell me what magic you used to get Cara to agree to help us.”

“Ah. That is all in thanks to Miss Amnell,” Zedd replied and motioned, with hands full of snacks, toward their desks.

Richard grabbed a cup and filled it with water before following. He marveled that nothing fell as Zedd tossed the small bags onto his desk. “So what genius idea did Kahlan come up with that both you and I missed?” Richard queried and sat down in his chair.

“Family,” Zedd responded around chewing a candy bar.

Richard’s eyebrows knitted together and his lips formed an o in question. Zedd swallowed quickly and continued, “She realized from Cara’s language that the other Mord-Sith are like her family and like anyone else, love of family compels people to do things they would not’ve otherwise considered.”

“So…what did you promise in return for her help?” Richard asked.

“That we would find a way to break the bond between Darken and her sisters,” Zedd smiled triumphantly.

“You do realize that most of her ‘sisters’ are going to wind up dead right? Either in the fallout of taking down Rahl or by Confession…” Richard scratched his head, “How did that promise by itself sway her?”

Zedd’s smile faded and was replaced by a scowl. Prompted, Richard continued, “We can’t really let them go disappear into the sunset. They would just go somewhere else and start collecting little girls again. It’s what Mord-Sith do. They’re as much the problem as Rahl.”

“Perhaps she won’t realize that?” Zedd offered.

Richard’s shoulders drooped and he lowered his head onto his desk. Zedd slowly chewed on a chip and stared out into space. “I could spell her…”

“Subtractive magic, Zedd.”

“Kahlan could…”

“Near instant death.”

“We could offer clemency to one Mord-Sith aside from Cara after we bring Darken down?”

Richard chewed his lower lip. “Think we could get a judge to agree to that?”

Zedd shrugged, “It’s worth a shot. Besides, don’t you think the freedom of two Mord-Sith are worth it in trade for a legion of Confessors not being under Darken’s control? Spirits, I’d say Cara’s entire…coven? What do they call themselves in their little groups, I wonder?” Zedd waved away his distraction, “Her entire little group is worth it, in my opinion, to keep Darken from controlling both Mord-Sith and Confessors.”

“Call the DA, see what she thinks about extending the clemency offer to another Mord-Sith. I’m going to get back to those books we got,” Richard replied as he stood.

Zedd nodded, licking sticky remnants from his fingertips. Richard wove around the desks toward a room the detectives had dubbed the ‘library.’ It held a folding chair, a table and two overstuffed bookcases. The room was hardly ever used so he had left the books sent over from another precinct sitting on the table. He jolted in shock when he opened the door to clear blue eyes staring up at him. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Sorry,” Kahlan apologized, “I guess Zedd didn’t tell you I was in here?”

Richard shook his head slowly and ran his fingers over his shaved jaw.

Kahlan nodded and returned her attention to a book. Richard exited back to the hallway and pulled a chair inside with him. Without looking up, Kahlan pushed a book toward him. “That one’s about the line of Rahls and the bond.”

Richard nodded and flipped the book open before asking, “What’s in the one you’re reading?”

Kahlan pulled a pair of black rimmed glasses back down on her nose and closed the book around her finger, “It’s about the Mord-Sith breaking.”

Richard smirked involuntarily. “What?” Kahlan asked.

“The glasses suit you,” he smiled.

Kahlan cleared her throat and looked back down at her book, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Richard replied and started scanning his book.

Kahlan looked up at Richard. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. He felt eyes on the top of his head and cautiously looked up toward the scrutinizing gaze. “Uh, yes?” he asked after a moment staring at one another.

“How did you find out about my sister?” she replied immediately.

“Uhm, hi,” Richard stuck his hand out toward Kahlan, “I’m a detective.”

Kahlan stared down at the hand then rolled her eyes up to Richard’s face after he returned the hand to the table. “Zedd did some digging after we met you that first day. In either coincidence or luck,” he shrugged, “Or incredibly bad fortune, we identified the Confessor Darken has been using as a young woman named Dennee.”

“But how do you know it’s her?” Kahlan pressed.

Richard rubbed the back of his neck. “We pulled a skin sample from under the nails of a corpse and matched it to her.”

“A corpse?” Kahlan paled.

“An eyewitness saw her Confess him. He tried to stop her and took a chunk of skin off her wrist. He died taking a bullet for Darken. Our witness described the Confessor and once we pulled the DNA match, we showed him the picture. He confirmed it was her,” Richard turned the pages of his book as he spoke.

Kahlan stared down at the movement, taking in his words. “And this eyewitness?” she asked.

“Dead the next day. Someone Confessed the guard on his door, a doctor and a couple of nurses to get to him.”

“Oh Creator, Dennee,” Kahlan sighed.

Richard smiled sadly, “I’m sorry Kahlan.”

Kahlan shook her head and wiped at the tears pooling in her eyes. She cleared her throat, “Uhm. So far, this book talks about how Mord-Sith make pets of people. It’s very…detailed. It doesn’t say how Mord-Sith are broken, but honestly, I don’t imagine the process is terribly different. They torture people until there’s no sense of themselves left and their only desire is to please their Mistress.”

Kahlan’s hands balled into tight fists as she relayed the information. She took a breath and relaxed her hands, splaying her fingers across the table. Richard watched the action of coiling and uncoiling her hands. “Cara told me a little about her rebreaking under Rahl,” he shook his head, “I think she was trying to shock me. It worked. Apparently Darken ‘accidentally’ killed her a few times. Does that book talk at all about something called the Breath of Life?”

“Killed her?” Kahlan muttered, “Uh. Not so far. I’ll let you know,” she pushed her glasses back up and bowed her head to resume reading.

Richard flipped idly through his book, unable to concentrate on much. Kahlan squinted at the print in the oversized book. “Ah ha!” she shouted, breaking Richard’s blank stare.

She smiled up at him, “‘The Breath of Life is used to return life to a body pushed too far in the breaking. It can be used outside the confines of the breaking on any freshly dead and relatively whole body but it is frowned upon.’”

Kahlan pushed her glasses back down and stretched. Richard watched her out of his periphery. “Would you like to get a coffee? With me?” he asked hesitantly.

Kahlan sighed and smiled at him. He flashed her his bright, easy smile in response. She leaned across the table and laid her hand on top of his, “Thank you, Richard. That’s very sweet but I’m not looking to date anyone. Particularly not right now. In another lifetime, I’m sure I’d be honoured to join you for a coffee.”

His smile lessened to something closer to understanding and she continued, “You seem like a good guy and you’re attractive, but I’m just not interested.”

“I understand,” he responded, “Thanks for letting me down easy,” he added with a wink.

Kahlan laughed, “Anytime.”

She patted his hand and pulled away, “So what time should I be here tomorrow?”

“Creator, I’ve no clue. Say around 10am? That should give us time to solidify a plan around Cara. It’s gonna be a long night. If you’ll leave your number with Zedd, I’ll make sure one of us calls you if it’s going to be later,” he responded.

Kahlan nodded and collected her purse from the floor next to her chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Richard,” she patted his shoulder as she walked past him.

The door closed softly behind him and he sighed loudly. He stretched his arms out and cracked his knuckles. “Okay, Cypher,” he slapped his cheeks lightly, “Let’s find out what Panis Rahl did over the course of his wicked existence.”

The door behind him crashed against the wall. Richard jerked awake and wiped drool from his chin, “What the hell?”

“The DA, the judges, everyone agrees that if we can take down Rahl, we can offer amnesty to as many damn Mord-Sith as we want,” Zedd shouted.

Richard oriented himself to where he was and blinked rapidly, “If?”

Zedd sat down across from him, “If you are willing to transfer the bond of the Mord-Sith to yourself.”

“Hell. No.”

“In that case, they will offer the pardon to Cara and one other Mord-Sith provided that they break from the other Mord-Sith and do not join with another group,” Zedd finished.

“I guess it has to be good enough,” Richard shrugged, “What time is it?”

“Eight o’clock. Go home and get some sleep, my boy. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day,” Zedd slapped Richard on the back as he exited.

“A Rahl, a Confessor, a Mord-Sith and a Wizard walk into a room…sounds like a set up for a terrible joke,” Richard said to himself.


	10. Kahlan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been eons, I know so here's a double length chapter as an apology. I can't look at it anymore today. My eyes are nearly crossed from writing.
> 
> There are liable to be mistakes galore. I'll edit later. If there's anything glaring, feel free to let me know or if anything is confusing.

Kahlan paced the interrogation room. The clock over the mirror read 10:30. She had been waiting nearly 45 minutes for either detective to show up. Officer Brandstone had escorted her back and left her to rifle through the books they had gathered about Mord-Sith. For the first fifteen minutes, she did so patiently.

The proceeding thirty minutes, however, saw her pacing the room, glancing between the wall clock, her watch and her phone and sighing—loudly. By 10:45 she had had enough and threw open the door. The hallway was empty. She threw her hands up then pushed up the corner of her glasses. Behind her, someone snickered. Kahlan turned and found Cara appraising her. “Figured it’d be you,” she leered, “Can’t say I’m disappointed.”

Kahlan’s cheeks flushed. She adjusted her black rimmed glasses again. “What do you think, Officer Brandstone?” Cara nudged his arm with her elbow and nodded toward Kahlan, “The sexy librarian thing do it for you too?”

Chase rolled his eyes and tugged on Cara’s arm, “Knock it off, Mason,” he turned an apologetic smile to Kahlan, “They’ll be in soon.”

“Tell the wizard: half a creamer and two sugars, please!” Cara shouted as the door clicked closed.

Kahlan shook her head and returned to her side of the divided room. “Please?” Chase teased, “Someone’s trying to make a good impression.”

Cara rubbed her wrists under the cuffs, “I’m charming,” she smiled at her reflection, the gesture all teeth, then leaned in and whispered, “You’d be charming too if she could kill you with a single touch.”

Chase squinted at the smile that did not quite reach Cara’s eyes. He nodded slowly, “You’re probably right. She’s different from any Confessor I’ve met though.”

Cara snorted and put space between them, “So naïve and so attractive,” she glanced at the mirror, “Those traits get people killed.”

“Left unchecked,” he replied, straightening, “But sometimes seeing the good in people inspires the good in them,” he raised his voice for the benefit of both women listening then exited.

Cara rolled her eyes and muttered at her reflection, “Not everyone has good left to inspire.”

On the other side of the glass, Kahlan felt her chest tighten. She shook the feeling away. Cara was a means to her sister’s freedom. It was in Kahlan’s best interest to tamp down any feelings she could conceivably develop. Kahlan took deep slow breaths to ward against her nature. Her instinctual ability to draw out the best in others and see good where others did not had led her down more troublesome paths than she cared to recount. She ran her fingers through her hair and pushed her glasses up onto her head. She pinched the bridge of her nose. The door to the room clanked open. Kahlan opened her eyes to see Zedd holding the door open for Richard who held three coffees in his hands. Zedd held one. Kahlan pulled her glasses back down and quickly took two of the cups from Richard then sat them on the table. “Cara requested—politely—half a creamer and two sugars if one of those is for her,” she said.

Zedd sat his cup down on the table and began pulling handfuls of creamer cups and sugar packets out of his pockets. “Have you been waiting long?” Richard asked around a sip of his drink.

Kahlan rolled her neck and sighed, “About an hour.”

Richard grimaced, “Sorry about that.”

Kahlan popped the lid off two cups and opened a creamer which she split between the two. After dumping two packets in one, stirring and replacing the lid, she put one packet in her own and stirred it. She lifted the cup she had deemed as Cara’s and asked, “So who’s up first?”

“That’d be me,” Richard raised his hand then plucked the cup from Kahlan’s hand and muttered, “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” Zedd clapped Richard on the back as he passed.

Kahlan took a sip of the warm coffee and stared into the interrogation room. Richard entered the room, with his cup in his mouth. The door closed behind him and Cara took hers from him. Richard sat his cup down while Cara sipped her drink. She nodded and sent a thumbs up over Richard’s head at the mirror. Kahlan hid her smirk behind her cup. Zedd’s eyes narrowed in her direction but he remained silent. Richard pulled a set of keys from his pocket and unlatched Cara’s handcuffs. “Since we’re working together now, I don’t think these are necessary anymore, do you?” he smiled.

Cara eyed him warily but shrugged, “I’ve no intentions of attacking you at the moment.”

Richard laughed. Cara cocked an eyebrow and glared at him over her coffee cup. “Laughter is not the standard response to that kind of statement,” she sneered.

“Sorry,” Richard held up his hands, “I’m not laughing at you.”

Cara leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest and waited. Richard blew air through his lips, “If you were going to attack me you’d have done it before now. There’ve been plenty of opportunities. The fact that you felt like you needed to say it is what I found amusing.”

Cara nodded in concession, “Fair point. So what is there to discuss today, Detective?”

Richard’s face broke into a broad smile. Cara scoffed and rolled her eyes. Richard paid no attention, “Cover stories for you and the Confessor and details how to keep in contact with us. Early evening we hope to get you both out of here and back to Darken. You’re still good with the deal on the table?”

Cara waved dismissively, “Yes, yes. Myself and one other in return for you not transferring the bond and for bringing down Darken. I will need to spend some quality time with the Confessor before we are released back to Rahl if this is to be believable. I’ll need my Agiels.”

“Of course,” Richard said cautiously, “What do you mean quality time?”

Cara sighed. On the other side of the glass Kahlan sighed also, “She’s going to need to make it look like I’ve been broken. This is not going to be pleasant.”

Zedd put an apologetic hand on Kahlan’s shoulder. “I could possibly spell you so it looks like you’ve been beaten?”

Kahlan sat down her cup, “Would there subtractive magic make it disappear? It’s probably safer to do this the hard way.”

Richard pushed up out of his chair suddenly with his voice raised, “Absolutely not. I won’t let you two attack one another. There’s got to be another way.”

Cara growled and rolled her eyes at the idealistic detective, “Would you rather she go in unmarred and be broken by Darken Rahl? You recall his methods. The Breath of Life can be used on Confessors just as effectively as on Mord-Sith, Richard,” she said his name with disdain, “You should perhaps keep your little infatuation with the Confessor in check and let us do what needs done to ensure that we both live.”

Richard glared down at Cara. She stared at him impassively waiting for him to come to what she deemed the same obvious conclusion. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a knocking on the mirror behind him. Richard turned with a whipped puppy look on his face. “I’ll be back,” he replied with a slump to his shoulders.

“May I stretch my legs?” Cara asked.

Richard nodded and exited the room. Cara shook her head as she got up to pace the room, “Naïve and attractive.”

The door opened to the attached room. “You two really didn’t think this thing through did you?” Kahlan started.

Richard ran his hands over his hair. Zedd simply shrugged. Kahlan shook her head, “How else did you think she and I were going to get back into Rahl’s compound? He’s not just going to let a Mord-Sith that has been missing for a couple days waltz in with a Confessor at her side. I knew when I agreed to this that I’d have to get a few bumps and bruises. After reading about the breakings, I am certain I’d rather spend some ‘quality time’ with Cara than with her sisters. Get your head in the game.”

Zedd bit back a smile behind a cough while Richard just gaped at Kahlan. He straightened. “Zedd, get Cara’s Agiels, I’ll take Kahlan in and we’ll work out the specifics.”

The wizard’s stomach started to grumble around one o’clock. Cara glanced in the direction of the sound, “Your wizard appears to be hungry.”

Zedd shrugged, “A wizard…”

“Needs more sustenance than the average person, yeah yeah,” Richard finished, “We should probably break for lunch anyway. What’s everyone want?”

Cara smirked, “A steak, rare and a pint of a pale ale would be lovely.”

“Great, burgers it is,” he replied.

“I’d like a salad if it’s not too much trouble,” Kahlan interjected.

Richard shook his head. “A salad?” Zedd and Cara grimaced simultaneously.

“I’m not certain how the broken Confessors are kept, are you sure you want, potentially your last decent meal for a while to be a salad?” Cara asked, trying vainly to keep the incredulity out of her voice.

“Thank you for your concern, Cara, but I’m certain,” Kahlan smiled.

Richard disappeared out of the room. Zedd sighed and stretched his long limbs. Cara resumed her blank stare at the wall. Kahlan pushed her glasses up on her head then clasped her hands on her lap. “When may I have my Agiels back, wizard?” Cara asked after several moments.

Kahlan squinted at Cara. She was only slightly blurry, her sneer could still be seen from a mile away, glasses or no glasses. There also seemed to be a longing behind her eyes. Kahlan pulled her glasses back down and continued studying the woman in front of her. Cara shifted uneasily, feeling Kahlan’s gaze on her. Zedd replied, “After lunch.”

Cara’s eyes shifted in the direction of Kahlan. She straightened in her chair and crossed her legs at the knee. She sighed. Kahlan bit her cheek in thought. “Something on your mind, Confessor?” Cara finally asked.

Kahlan opened and closed her mouth reluctantly, “Is this the longest you’ve ever been without your Agiel?”

Cara turned her head to look at Kahlan. Those questioning blue eyes held something akin to pity which made Cara glower at Kahlan. “I simply wish to have my weapons returned so that I can get on to your faux breaking.”

Kahlan’s eyes widened and laughter spilled out of her mouth before she could stop it. Cara’s face darkened, “What the hell is wrong with all of you?”

“I’m sorry,” Kahlan spluttered.

Cara’s fists clenched, her whole being sang with tension and power. Kahlan stopped laughing when she saw Cara’s reaction. “Zedd could you give us a minute?” Kahlan asked quietly.

Zedd shook his head, “She looks like she’s going to rip your arms out of your sockets. Not a chance.”

Cara’s glare shifted to Zedd. She took a deep steadying breath and unclenched her fists. Kahlan put her hand on Zedd’s arm, “We need a moment, please.”

“Fine but if she kills you or you kill her, your sister has no one to go in after her,” Zedd conceded.

Kahlan nodded. Cara folded her arms over her chest and turned away from Kahlan. Once the door clinked shut, Kahlan leaned across the table toward Cara. “I’m sorry for laughing Cara. I didn’t mean it as a disrespect. If we’re going to live through this, we should be honest with one another. You don’t want your Agiel back for any reason other than it comforts you and makes you feel in control.”

Cara scoffed and started swinging her crossed leg slightly, “I’m not interested in your dime store therapy, Confessor. I’m not someone to be analyzed or saved. I am perfectly fine as I am.”

Kahlan took a deep breath, “We have more in common than you can imagine.”

Cara laughed acerbically. Undeterred, Kahlan continued, “I imagine not having your Agiel nearby is similar to wearing a Rada’Han. It feels like an extension of yourself is missing. There’s something steadying and grounding about the power and the lack of it is…” Kahlan found herself grasping for a word.

Cara cleared her throat and offered, “Uncomfortable.”

Kahlan nodded, “Uncomfortable. I imagine that, particularly in my presence, you would like to feel some level of control or at least feel like you aren’t at the mercy of my magic. It may not mean much, but I swear to you that I will not try to Confess you. I just want my sister back.”

Cara twisted her neck to crack it and release some of the tension building in her muscles. She continued glaring at the wall but nodded, “I will not do more harm to you than is necessary.”

Kahlan laughed lightly, “Thank you. I expect…I don’t know what I expect but I’m pretty sure I’ll be at your mercy more during this than you have to worry about me at all.”

Cara’s lips curved in a smirk and she turned toward Kahlan, “I make no guarantees that I won’t enjoy having you at my mercy.”

Kahlan’s cheeks flushed. Cara noticed the freckles that dotted her face. Her smirk widened to something bordering on lecherous. This time, Cara was the one to laugh. It was a deep rolling sound. Kahlan shook her head and refused to stare at the full lips grinning at her. Her jaw clenched and it was Kahlan’s turn to sneer.

Zedd chose that moment to return to the room. Upon seeing the switch in demeanors, he swallowed the chip he had been chewing and hazarded, “What’d I miss?”

Lunch and three tedious hours of repeating their cover story and means of contact later and Cara found herself finally clutching the end of her Agiel in the back of an unmarked black van. She closed her eyes to the calming buzz of energy as it crackled up her arm. Kahlan shifted her weight on the seat across from Cara. She took deep steadying breaths and clutched her workout bag to her chest. It was the only thing she had been allowed only because it was in her car when the initial attack happened. She had a couple of outfits in the bag, her glasses case, some contact lenses and her Escrima sticks. She held her keys in her hand; she was surprised to find that her resolve waned the moment she picked up the bag out of the trunk of her car. Her thoughts ran away with her as she bounced in her seat down what felt like a gravel path. _)What do I really know about this Mord-Sith? What’s to keep her from actually breaking me or killing me? How the hell are we getting Dennee free? Oh Creator have mercy,_ Kahlan exhaled loudly, drawing Cara’s attention.

Cara turned and leaned back over the seat toward Kahlan. Kahlan stared blankly ahead, eyes seeing nothing. Cara snapped her fingers, drawing Kahlan back, “Deep breaths Confessor,” her tone was nearly kind.

Kahlan smiled reflexively and took a deep breath. Cara grimaced and hesitantly put her hand on top of Kahlan’s white knuckles on the back of her seat. “My word probably means less than nothing to you, but I’ve no desire to die and for better or worse, our survival is linked to one another. Just pay attention and follow my lead.”

Kahlan looked into the green eyes that attempted to convey comfort. If she weren’t so uncomfortable, she would have laughed at how pained Cara looked. Instead of risking insult, Kahlan simply nodded. The van came to a stop at the address Cara had provided them. Richard turned around from the driver’s seat after putting the vehicle in park. “Okay ladies,” he turned to face them, “Cara, your bike is in the alley around the side of the building. We’ll leave listening devices for you around the same spot in two days. You’ll plant them where we discussed then we’ll meet in one week. We’ll leave the details at the same time as the bugs.”

Kahlan and Cara nodded. “Good luck,” Zedd added.

Cara slid the side door open and hopped out. Kahlan screwed up her confidence and followed. The sun was starting to set. She smelled ocean on the air. They must have moved away from downtown. She tried to search for a familiar landmark but nothing jumped out at her. She followed Cara, clutching her bag to her chest. Cara wove between two buildings presumably in search of her motorcycle. Kahlan kept close. “How well can you see without your glasses?” Cara asked after she found her bike and checked that all its contents were in place. 

She pulled a thumb drive out of the pocket of her leather holster for her Agiels. Kahlan watched Cara move, “It’s not a strong prescription. What was that?”  
Cara closed up the bike seat and turned with her hands on her hips, “Insurance that they don’t question us too closely. You probably want to leave your glasses in their case for this. Wanna leave your bag here or take it with?”

Kahlan pulled open her bag and removed her glasses case. She handed the bag over to Cara who strapped it onto the back of the seat of the motorcycle. “All right, let’s get this over with,” Kahlan said.

A grin spread across Cara’s face. They walked further down the alley. Cara pulled keys out of her pocket and opened a door to a graffiti riddled building with broken windows. Just inside the door, Cara flipped the light switch. A handful of lights flickered on across the unfinished ceiling. “Come on,” Cara beckoned after latching the door behind them.

Paint peeled off the walls in places and abandoned desks were scattered all around the large open room. They wove around them to another thick metal door. Cara held the door open and felt around blindly for another light switch. Anxiety clawed at Kahlan’s insides. She jumped when Cara put her hand on Kahlan’s back to move her out of the way. Cara pretended not to notice and headed down to the basement. Kahlan straightened and squared her shoulders as she entered what looked remarkably like the warehouse basement they visited with Rachel. Pale lights illuminated an area of chains over a pit. Kahlan slipped off her glasses and put them in the case. “How stubborn are you?” Cara asked, as she pulled gloves onto her hands.

“Stubborn?” Kahlan repeated with a shrug, “Average I suppose. Once I get something in my mind, it’s hard to make me change it.”

“Okay,” Cara replied, unsheathing an Agiel, “I’ll keep to mostly body shots, only enough to cause bruising. There’s ways to use Agiels that leave no marks but you need to know the bite of an Agiel in case any sisters try anything. I need to know your pain threshold. A fat lip or swollen eye will sell this better. No Mord-Sith would be able to keep from ruining a Confessor’s face if given the opportunity.”

“I understand,” Kahlan replied and took a deep breath, staring into Cara’s steely blue gaze, “I’m ready.”

Cara lurched forward. Kahlan fought the instinct to dodge and clenched her hands at her sides. The blow landed with a dull thump into her stomach. She gasped and doubled over. Inhaling raggedly, Kahlan straightened in time for Cara’s fist to plow into her cheek. Her tongue darted out to lick the blood away. Cara smiled viciously and reared back with her Agiel, clocking Kahlan in the knee, driving her to the floor. “This is gonna hurt,” Cara warned, standing over top Kahlan.

She thrust the Agiel into Kahlan’s back. Kahlan arched under the pain and gritted her teeth. Cara pulled the Agiel away and wheeled around to face Kahlan. Her eyebrows were knotted together in confusion. Kahlan’s vision bristled with colour bursts. She blinked hard to keep unconsciousness at bay. Cara took Kahlan’s chin roughly in her hand, “I’m impressed, Confessor.”

Kahlan inhaled shakily, “Just get this over with, Cara, please.”

Cara glanced down at Kahlan’s clenched fists. She nodded and sheathed the Agiel. Using her leverage, Cara punched down against Kahlan’s other cheek. The enjoyment Cara usually felt from violence was noticeably absent. Cara kicked Kahlan’s stomach and wondered about this to herself. The tiny exhalations escaping Kahlan with each kick brought her back to her task. She pushed the other woman over with her boot and eyed her work. Kahlan’s right eye was already swelling nicely and her opposite cheek sported a nice pink shine that meant a bruise was forthcoming. Kahlan inhaled slowly and blew the exhale out her lips. Tears pricked at her one good eye. Cara reached down to lift her. “Can you stand on your own?” she asked gently.

Kahlan nodded, pain making her voice crack, “Are you sure this is enough?”

A feeling Cara could not name burst in her chest, she cleared her throat, “Your face looks pretty bad,” Cara led Kahlan to a chair and helped her sit.

Kahlan nodded and placed her hand on her side with a grimace. Cara left her for a moment. Kahlan sat quietly waiting for the pain to dissipate some so she could speak without difficulty. Cara returned with a glass of water and a cloth. Cara placed the cup on the table next to the chair. She stood in front of Kahlan and carefully laid the cloth over Kahlan’s eye. It was cool and Kahlan wilted under the gentleness of the touch. Her body sagged against Cara’s. Cara’s hands shot away involuntarily as Kahlan’s cheek came to rest against Cara’s stomach. “What are you doing?” she squeaked awkwardly.

“Sorry,” Kahlan mumbled against Cara’s shirt.

She tried to force herself to lean back. With a sigh, Kahlan requested, “A little help. I can’t push back.”

Cara put her hands on Kahlan’s shoulders and pushed her back against the seat with a look of horror on her face, “Don’t do,” she waved her hands between them, “whatever that was again.”

Kahlan plucked the cloth out of Cara’s hand and placed it on her cheek, “What be human for a moment? I’ll do my best to refrain in the future.”

Cara’s frown deepened. She opened her mouth then closed it. She bit her cheek then finally admitted, “This was the part of the breaking isn’t something I was ever good at. Pain and violence, I can do. The comforting afterward, the gentle words? It’s not my thing.”

“Clearly,” Kahlan muttered before taking a sip of the water.

“Okay,” Cara cleared her throat and clenched her fists, “This attitude thing’s gotta go before we get back to the house.”

“How exactly is a broken person supposed to act around their…breaker?” Kahlan’s strength was slowly returning.

Cara stood silent for a moment, trying to think how to explain it, “Like someone who’s been Confessed.”

Kahlan nodded slowly, “I see.”

Cara took a step back and picked her leather jacket up off the table. Kahlan took another sip of water and relished in the cool. She could not imagine what it would be like to truly be broken. Her heart ached for the aloof woman in front of her. “Should I call you Mistress then?”

Cara shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged, “Most Mord-Sith encourage their pets to call them that. The best you can do is be meek to match my bravado. Don’t speak unless I give you permission. Don’t make eye contact with anyone and stay far away from Denna.”


	11. Kahlan

The motorcycle roared up the long drive to, what Kahlan could only describe as, a palatial estate. It looked like it was an historical building. There were Mission inspired tan columns framing the large rounded entryway that extended nearly all the way up to the orange roof tiles. Kahlan quickly averted her eyes and stared at the back of Cara’s red leather jacket. Her eyes traced the stitching from Cara’s shoulders to her slender waist. The jacket looked well cared for. Kahlan took a deep centering breath. Cara stopped the motorcycle and turned off the ignition. She knocked the kickstand down and stood, snapping her fingers at Kahlan. “Show time. Keep your eyes down,” Cara whispered.

Kahlan turned her face down and got up from the bike. Her mind raced in the direction of her sister. Cara’s voice cut through the distraction, “—I have brought a prize for the Lord Rahl.”

Kahlan dutifully kept her eyes down and her hands clasped loosely in front of her. She watched a pair of stiletto heels circle her. She felt like cattle being appraised. Her jaw instinctively clenched. She felt a strong hand grab her arm. She turned her head to follow the arm high enough to recognize it as Cara’s. “Mistress?” Kahlan asked.

A pleased grin spread across Cara’s face. She let go of Kahlan’s arm and turned a smug grin toward Denna. “I think I should like my white leathers, Denna. Have them brought to my quarters. Come, pet.”

Kahlan followed a few paces behind Cara. They climbed a winding staircase in the middle of the foyer. Every instinct in Kahlan wanted to look up and take in her surroundings. She wanted to get her bearings in case things went sideways and she needed to make a quick escape. At least for the moment, she seemed to be at Cara’s mercy. _Spirits, why did I agree to this?_ Kahlan kept her face still and her eyes on the ground but her chest rose and fell rapidly. Next to her, Cara shifted.

Cara felt the fear radiating off Kahlan. The hallway appeared empty but she knew there were security cameras everywhere. Cara’s hands balled into fists before she reached over and grabbed Kahlan’s arm roughly. She kept her face blank and subtly rubbed her thumb along the back of Kahlan’s arm, hoping that Kahlan would sense the attempt at comfort. Kahlan took a deeper breath. Cara lightly squeezed Kahlan’s arm before pulling her up next to her. They turned left and walked down a darkened hallway. Cara stopped in front of a door at the end of short hallway. She made a show of releasing Kahlan’s arm, with a flourish of her hand. Her tone was bored when she commanded Kahlan, “Open it.”

Kahlan swallowed and manage to reply softly with little quavering in her voice, “Yes, Mistress.”

Kahlan twisted the doorknob. She stepped inside and moved out of the way, making room for Cara to follow. Cara flicked on the light switch once she was past the threshold. The room contained a single queen sized bed with a blood red duvet cover and matching satin sheets. Cara peeled the gloves off her hands and plopped them onto the bed. “You may sit on the chair,” she offered not unkindly but with a level of detachment that made Kahlan’s skin crawl.

Kahlan quietly moved to the black leather chair in the corner and folded her hands over her lap, allowing herself to close her eyes and count out measured breaths. Cara shrugged out of her jacket and placed it over the corner of a freestanding full length mirror beside the bed. The rapping of knuckles against the door made Kahlan jump nearly out of her skin. She looked a question at Cara who simply waved her toward the door. Kahlan worried her lower lip with her teeth and opened the door, hiding in the shadow of it.

Keeping eyes carefully trained on the ground, Kahlan listened to soft footsteps entering the room. “Denna said you were back. When we found Triana’s body I feared the worst.”

Kahlan wondered at the Mord-Sith that sounded that timid. She wished she could read Mord-Sith the same way she could anyone else. It felt like the woman was playing Cara. “I’m harder to kill than Triana, Dahlia,” Cara replied.

There was a note of fondness in Cara’s voice that pulled Kahlan’s eyes involuntarily up from the ground. The blonde woman was very small with a long braid that nearly trailed the floor. Kahlan wondered at their relationship. Cara seemed to soften in the woman’s presence. Cara glanced over Dahlia’s shoulder and caught Kahlan staring. Her eyes narrowed. She rolled her neck and stared down her nose at Dahlia, “You brought my leathers?”

“I—,” Dahlia stumbled, “Raina is going to gather them,” Dahlia recovered and glanced behind her at Kahlan who averted her eyes in time, “I need your measurements.”

Cara simply nodded and extended her arms and spread her legs slightly apart. A measuring tape appeared in Dahlia’s hands. With Dahlia’s back to Kahlan, she took the opportunity to observe the woman. Cara kept her eyes blank and ahead. Her lips were slightly pursed. Kahlan noticed, not for the first time, the fullness there. Her eyes lingered a moment too long. When Kahlan turned her eyes up to meet Cara’s, there was a knowing smile in them. Kahlan rolled her eyes and returned them to the floor. Dahlia finished the measurements and wound the tape back into a roll. “Raina will be up shortly,” she snarled.

Cara narrowed her eyes and sucked air through her teeth as Dahlia stormed out of the room, casting Kahlan a withering glare. Kahlan felt the force of it and was grateful she was boring holes in the floor with her eyes. The door closed with a bang. Kahlan looked over at the door before hazarding a glance at Cara. She lifted an eyebrow. Cara rolled her eyes, “She and I were broken together. That creates a…,” Cara motioned idly with her hands, a gesture that was abnormal.

“You love her,” Kahlan offered.

At this Cara laughed. The sound was loud and filled with mirth. Kahlan’s face scrunched in response. Cara wiped a tear from her eye, “Mord-Sith do not love.”

Cara planted her hands on her hips and stared at Kahlan. She did not need her Confessor abilities to see that Cara was lying, mostly to herself. It may not be a romantic love but Kahlan had no doubt that Dahlia was the one Cara would be taking with her should they succeed. Kahlan raised her hands in surrender and made a mental note to keep an ear out for Dahlia. She could not shake the feeling that something was off with the woman.

Cara sat down on the bench in front of the bed and began untying her boots. Her fingers worked at the laces. Kahlan watched the repetitive, mundane movements. They served to center her. Mundane tasks did that for her. Cara slipped the boot off her foot and carefully placed it on the floor. Her hands moved slower on the second boot. Kahlan’s eyebrows knitted and she looked up to find Cara’s smug smile. “Careful, I might get the wrong idea about you, Confessor,” Cara teased.

Kahlan’s throat flushed but she leaned back in the leather chair and leveled a glare at Cara. Cara smiled and waggled her eyebrows at Kahlan causing Kahlan to snicker. A knock at the door jostled Kahlan out of the lightened mood. She bolted up. Cara, now only in a tight white tank top and jeans, leaned back against the bed and nodded at the door. Kahlan felt proud when she opened the door without shaking. She dared to tilt her head up slightly higher this time. It would not do for her to be entirely dependent on the goodness in Cara’s heart or the truth of her word. Particularly since the woman was adamant that the former did not exist.

Kahlan simply tilted her chin a fraction high enough that her downturned eyes landed naturally at a person’s waist rather than their feet. From this it was easy to subtly flick her eyes up. Cara’s stern voice broke through Kahlan’s musings. “I will have my Confessor redress me after I’ve bathed. I assume Lord Rahl would like to see my prize afterward.”

Raina looked over her shoulder at Kahlan. Kahlan looked away. Raina sat the pile of clothing on Cara’s bed and moved to stand in front of Kahlan. She took Kahlan’s chin in her hand and lifted Kahlan’s face. Kahlan looked over Raina’s shoulder in question at Cara. Cara’s brow was furrowed in concern. Raina spoke then, “Look at me, Confessor.”

Kahlan met Raina’s dark brown eyes. There was a calculating mind behind them. The woman stared at her for several long moments without speaking. Kahlan felt like a science project being evaluated by a judge. The urge to look away grew with each passing second but she held still, keeping her hands lightly clasped in front of her. Kahlan looked through that gaze which seemed to satisfy Raina who let go of her chin and turned back to Cara. “Lord Rahl is away. He is due back day after tomorrow. You may keep your pet with you until his return. He may require a rebreaking. I will send Berdine with a Rada’Han while you bathe. Will you require clothes for her this evening?” Raina said the last with a smirk and a sideways glance back at Kahlan.

Kahlan’s heart hammered double time in her chest. Cara shrugged, “I suppose it would not do for her to catch cold. Berdine may bring something for her.”

Raina turned on her heel and exited, “Try not to be too loud. Some of us would like to sleep tonight.”

Kahlan moved to shut the door behind the woman. She clenched her jaw and whipped around at Cara who was still leaned against the bed. Cara was grinning broadly, her elbows propped her up. She made a show of crossing her legs. Kahlan’s arms crossed, “Just so it’s clear there will be no fucking tonight, Cara.”

“Tonight?” Cara purred, “Interesting word choice, Confessor.”

Kahlan saw red in that instant. Her hands flexed and itched to reach out. Cara noticed the motion and before Kahlan could think to move, Cara was staring up at Kahlan from inches away, an Agiel in one hand. “Mind your temper. I have no intentions of fucking a Confessor. I don’t have a death wish. Do you?”

Kahlan gave no physical ground but apologized, “I’m sorry, Cara. You didn’t deserve that.”

Cara took a step back but did not put her Agiel away. Kahlan continued, “I’m stressed and I’m scared. You probably are too, I shouldn’t’ve lashed out.”

Cara slipped the Agiel back in its holster and gathered up her leathers, “There is no point in fear.”


	12. Cara

Cara flexed her burnt palm. Burns from Agiels happened often. She had many scattered scars across her body from small plays for power. Cara waited while Kahlan filled the whirlpool tub with water. A strange urge rose up in her chest constricting tightly as she watched Kahlan grimace in pain every time she bent over. It made her skin crawl. Cara snarled, Kahlan chose that moment to turn around, her eyebrows furrowed, “Have I done something wrong?” the confusion, evident in Kahlan’s voice.

“No, continue,” Cara responded with a touch more ice in her voice than she intended.

Kahlan stared at Cara for a moment longer, clearly analyzing. Cara folded her arms over her chest and glared. When Kahlan did not speak but instead turned back to pour Epsom salts into the water, Cara kicked away from the wall she had been leaning against. She stomped up beside Kahlan and grabbed the woman by the shoulders. Kahlan stiffened, “What are you doing?”

“Sit down, I will finish,” Cara replied as she walked Kahlan back to the bench next to the tub.

Cara dipped a paddle into the water to stir the salt and assist dissolving it into the liquid. Kahlan watched the muscles in Cara’s back shift under the tight tank top. Again, she lost herself in the repetitive motions. She snapped herself quickly out of the trance, not wanting Cara to notice her staring and make some sort of lewd comment. Cara was very skilled, she was learning, at turning the most innocent of things into something sexual. The social worker in Kahlan wondered at this tendency. Wondered at the psychology that was Cara Mason. She snickered to herself at the image she concocted of Cara’s consternation if she knew what Kahlan was thinking. Cara straightened up and leaned the paddle against the side of the tub. “Get in if you wish. I will retrieve bandages for your ribs,” Cara stated as she walked past to a cabinet in the far corner of the room.

“I—wait what? Together?” Kahlan spluttered.

Cara rolled her eyes, _Of course the woman is a prude_. She grabbed first aid supplies for all of Kahlan’s injuries and spoke over her shoulder, “Yes. I have promised that I have no intentions of violating your space further than what you allow and need necessitates. I do not have a death wish, Confessor. There are certain things we will be expected to do during your time here that will make you uncomfortable,” Cara turned with arms full and kicked the cabinet door shut lightly, “You may shower if you prefer but you will still be undressed in my presence. The bath with help your muscles relax.”

Kahlan looked down at the floor. She laughed lightly, “This is the most I’ve ever heard you speak at once, Cara.”

Cara laid out the bandages and salves, “You apparently require constant assurances that I am not the monster you imagine me to be. In fairness, I am a monster,” she turned and started stripping, amused by the speed with which Kahlan averted her eyes, “Just not the kind you imagine.”

Cara kicked her pants and underwear next to her shirt and strutted back to the tub. She lowered herself carefully into the hot water. It was still just a touch too warm but she allowed no discomfort to cross her features. She leaned her head back against the side of the tub and closed her eyes. She heard Kahlan shuffle and the soft thumps of her clothing hit the tile. The water shifted around her. Cara kept her eyes closed until she felt confident Kahlan was submerged. She opened her eyes and leaned across to the faucet and pressed the button to turn on the jets.

“Spirits,” Kahlan muttered and sank further into the water, positioning her shoulder blades in front of a spout.

Cara snickered and leaned over the edge. She came up with her loofah and a bottle of body wash. Kahlan glanced at the bottle, curious of the scent. She realized that it was odd that she had not noticed how the woman smelled. Richard, she had noticed immediately, smelled of expensive cologne in copious amounts. Zedd smelled like an odd mix of herbs, undoubtedly from his potions. Kahlan closed her eyes and inhaled but all she could smell was the lavender scent of the salts. Cara quickly washed herself and extended the bottle to Kahlan. Kahlan straightened reluctantly and took the washcloth Cara handed her next. The bottle was also lavender scented. Kahlan hummed to herself, “Is this yours or do you all share?”

Cara sighed, “Lord Rahl allows us the choice of this or some fruit scent.”

Kahlan nodded. Cara washed out her hair and got out of the tub. She dried herself off with a towel laid across the bench next to the tub. Kahlan finished cleaning herself and her hair as quickly as possible. Cara slipped into a pair of shorts and a thin red silk camisole. She looked so soft and delicate. Kahlan wrapped the towel tightly around her body. Her long hair dripped down her back. “Wait here,” Cara said.

Kahlan ran her fingers through her hair while she waited. She looked around the room. It was all white tile from floor to impossibly high ceiling. She looked at the glassed in shower area. It was large enough to hold several people at one time with what looked like ten showerheads at various heights. There were two toilet stalls. Kahlan snorted, _At least they allow privacy for one thing_ , she mused.

The door opened behind her and she shifted around toward the sound. Dahlia stalked into the bathroom and latched the door behind her. Kahlan quickly looked down and clutched the towel to her chest. Dahlia stomped in Kahlan’s direction. Kahlan’s heart raced in her chest, she took a slow deep breath. The urge to speak nearly overwhelmed her reason. Dahlia did a slow circle around Kahlan. Kahlan’s teeth clenched involuntarily. Dahlia reached out and ripped the towel off Kahlan’s body. Kahlan swallowed and fought the urge to cover herself. Dahlia laughed. The doorknob turned but did not open. Dahlia smiled and backhanded Kahlan across the cheek. “Open the door, Confessor,” Cara called from outside the door.

“Yes Mistress,” Kahlan’s voice trembled.

She carefully moved around Dahlia. Dahlia turned as Kahlan passed and shoved. Kahlan sprawled forward and hit her head against the door. Her outstretched hands kept her from smacking her face against the doorknob. Kahlan turned the lock after fumbling for her footing. Cara burst into the bathroom, ready to rage at Kahlan. Cara looked down at Kahlan’s naked, trembling form. She helped the woman to stand and placed herself in between Kahlan and, “Dahlia, what the fuck?” Cara hissed.

Dahlia shrugged and smiled savagely, “I just wanted to play with your new toy, Cara.”

Cara glared at the woman through narrowed eyes, “Get out.”

Kahlan hid herself further behind Cara and tried to calm her breathing. Dahlia flounced up to the open door. She reached around Cara and twisted a length of Kahlan’s hair around her finger. Dahlia smiled up at Cara, “Perhaps Lord Rahl will let me play with your Confessor.”

Cara punched before she fully processed what she was doing. Dahlia’s head twisted. Her tongue darted out to her split lip. Dahlia’s face contorted in rage. “You will regret that, Cara.”

Dahlia slammed the door behind her. Cara’s muscles hummed with tension. “Put these on,” Cara handed Kahlan a black negligee over her back.

Cara stomped to the mirror and waited with her back to Kahlan. Kahlan slipped the incredibly tiny underwear and lingerie top on. She was grateful that at least it was not sheer material but found herself very jealous of the short shorts and camisole Cara wore. Kahlan covered her chest and walked up next to Cara who glared up at her. Cara sighed, “That was fucking power play I should’ve known was coming. Did she hurt you?” Cara held Kahlan’s chin lightly and twisted her face down so she could check for damage.

Kahlan’s cheeks flushed, “No.”

Cara clicked her tongue at the blood dripping from Kahlan’s nose. She released Kahlan’s chin and pulled a tissue from the box on the sink counter. “Sit,” Cara instructed Kahlan.

There was a stool nearby which Kahlan pulled up and sat down on. Cara gently wiped the blood from Kahlan’s nose. Cara tossed the bloody tissue into the trash can and carefully ran her fingers along the bridge of Kahlan’s nose. “Not broken,” she muttered.

Cara turned back to the supplies on the counter, “Take the top off, or lift it if you can handle holding it up for a few minutes.”

Kahlan, still slightly dazed from the confrontation, complied but wrapped her arms over her breasts. Cara turned around and motioned for Kahlan to take the jar from her. Kahlan awkwardly shifted her arms and took the salve. “Sit up straight,” Cara requested.

Kahlan did so. Cara reached out. Kahlan flinched away. Cara froze. “I’m only checking to see if any of your ribs are broken. I should have warned you.”

Kahlan nodded, “Sorry. Go ahead.”

Cara reached forward again and ran her fingers along the ribs that were already bruising, “Let me know if there’s pain beyond what’s normal for a bruise.”

Kahlan closed her eyes in a grimace but shook her head, “No worse.”

“Is it okay with you if I put this salve on your ribs? It will soothe the pain and help the bruising disappear faster,” Cara asked, now cautious of Kahlan.

Kahlan opened her eyes and looked at the Mord-Sith. She looked almost fearful. Kahlan wanted to reach out and assure Cara. Wisely, she fought the urge and tried to convey that Cara had not done anything wrong, she extended the jar in Cara’s direction and nodded, “It’s fine.”

Kahlan flinched again when Cara’s hand made contact with her side. She laughed, “Cold.”

Cara rolled her eyes but smiled. “Clearly,” she joked.

Kahlan huffed and adjusted her arm over her chest tighter. Cara laughed and plucked the jar from Kahlan’s hand when she finished. “Clothe yourself, woman. Nothing seems broken.”

Kahlan slipped the top back on and stood up. She looked into the mirror for the first time and grimaced at the bruising already painting her face. She licked at her cracked lip. “Here,” Cara handed Kahlan a disposable wash cloth, “Wipe your face off and put some of this salve on.”

“You’re very gentle when you want to be. I thought you said you were bad at this part,” Kahlan remarked underneath the cloth, which she regretted the second that statement left her mouth.

Cara laughed. Kahlan looked over at her for traces of anger, “Sorry,” she apologized.

Cara shook her head, “Just how hard did you knock your head against the door?”

Kahlan rolled her eyes, “Forget I said anything.”

“Good answer,” Cara replied and cleared up the first aid supplies.

Kahlan tugged hopelessly on the thin strapped top that hung loosely off her chest. Cara watched with amusement, “There’s a robe in the room.”

Kahlan glanced up, still tugging, “Why didn’t you bring it?”

Cara smirked. Kahlan rolled her eyes, “What are the odds of running into anyone in the hallway?”

Cara’s hips swung distractingly as she passed Kahlan to wait by the door. Kahlan passed Cara and dropped her eyes to the ground before opening the door. Cara switched off the light and exited. Kahlan followed close behind. They did not pass anyone in the hallway much to Cara’s dismay and Kahlan’s relief. With the door firmly shut behind them, Kahlan wrapped the thick terrycloth robe around her shoulders to fight the cool night air. Cara turned down her side of the bed and crawled beneath the covers. Kahlan approached the opposite side of the bed and reluctantly shed the robe then slipped next to Cara. Cara shimmied and produced her shorts and top. She grinned broadly, “I sleep nude. It’ll help sell it if someone comes in in the morning.”

Kahlan rolled her eyes and turned onto her side away from Cara. “I’m not stripping,” she muttered.

“Suit yourself,” Cara shrugged and turned onto her stomach, “Lights.”

Kahlan groaned and ripped off the covers to go turn off the lights. She stumbled under the light of the moon back to bed. Cara mumbled, “Sweet dreams, Confessor.”

Kahlan huffed, “Good night, Mistress.”

Cara grinned into her sheets and shuffled deeper into the covers.


	13. Cara

The sounds of birds outside the window drew Cara out of a deep sleep. Light blocking curtains kept Cara from being able to gauge the time. She sighed and blinked groggily then stretched. She felt a weight across her stomach as she lifted her torso slightly off the bed. The haze of sleep was slow lifting and Cara had to rub her eyes before she was able to process what was going on. Kahlan’s arm was slung low across Cara’s bare waist. The Confessor shifted closer to Cara in her sleep, burrowing her nose against Cara’s ribcage. Cara froze. “Confessor,” she whispered harshly.

Kahlan did not budge. Cara tried to slide out of Kahlan’s grip. “Confessor get off me,” Cara slid her hips away and managed to get a leg on the floor.

She huffed air through her nose and rolled her eyes, “Kahlan Amnell get off me.”

At the sound of her name, Kahlan turned away from Cara onto her back and swiped at her eyes, “So early,” she mumbled.

Cara fumbled out of the bed and hissed at Kahlan, “Wake up now.”

“What?” Kahlan squinted in Cara’s direction then fumbled for her glasses.

Kahlan turned back to where a very nude Cara had her arms crossed beneath her breasts and was glaring furiously at Kahlan. “You’re naked,” Kahlan blinked slowly, fighting her instinct to look at Cara’s taut muscular body.

“You were touching me,” Cara stated matter-of-factly.

Kahlan raised an eyebrow and shrugged, “I’m a sleep snuggler, can’t help it.”

Cara leaned over and placed her palms on the side of the bed, Kahlan’s eyes followed the movement then shot up to Cara’s rage filled face. Kahlan knew something was amiss if Cara had not taken the opportunity to comment on Kahlan’s distraction. “Do not do that again,” Cara seethed.

“It’s not something I have any control over. I am sorry though. I didn’t mean to touch you without your permission,” Kahlan tried to convey her sincerity in her face since touching the Mord-Sith seemed a very bad idea.

“You could have killed me, Confessor. What if you had been dreaming you were Confessing someone,” Cara straightened and threw a robe over her shoulders.

“Ah,” Kahlan sighed, “It doesn’t work that way. I mean, the Con Dar works sort of that way but it’s a conscious thing. I can’t accidentally sleep Confess someone. I don’t think. I mean I’ve never done it and there’ve been opportunities.”

“You ramble when you’re sleepy,” Cara shook her head.

“Huh?” Kahlan looked up at the line of skin exposed around the crimson robe.

“Eyes up, Confessor,” Cara smirked.

Kahlan rolled her eyes, _There it is,_ she flopped back against the bed with a thud, “Cover up then,” she sighed.

“You admit you find me appealing then?” Cara pressed.

“I haven’t denied it have I?” Kahlan asked, exasperation growing in the pit of her stomach, “Keep up the lewd remarks though and I’ll resort to psychoanalyzing the underlying reason.”

Cara laughed and held up her hands, “Fair.”

A knock at the door startled them both. Kahlan jumped and reached for the terrycloth robe. Cara shook her head and nodded at the door as she moved to the leather chair by the window. Kahlan glared at the obvious payback and adjusted the black silk top then took a deep breath and opened the door. Another blonde stomped in the room. Cara sneered, “Denna.”

Denna stared Kahlan up and down with open disgust. “Cover up,” she ordered.

Kahlan looked at Cara and waited. Cara smiled and shook her head. Kahlan nodded, “My Mistress wishes me to remain like this.”

Denna sucked air through her teeth and rolled her eyes, “Juvenile, Cara.”

Cara shrugged and spread her arms over the sides of the leather chair, thus opening her robe further. “Get dressed, Lord Rahl will return this afternoon,” Denna glared at Cara, “Your pet should learn what is expected of her before he returns.”

Cara stared blankly at Denna. The debate to assert her superior rank quickly played across Denna’s face. Cara was on her feet before the thought could settle. Denna rolled her eyes again. “Get dressed,” she waved dismissively as she exited the room.

Kahlan, wisely, shrank away from the two and stood unobtrusively in the corner of the room away from the door. After Denna was gone, she rushed to close the door and sighed. Cara shook her head and slipped the robe off again. She pulled black underwear from a drawer and slipped them on. “She’s not wrong. You need to be shown where you can go and what you’re expected to do. You’re going to need to know how to put my leathers on.”

Cara picked up the pile of white leather on the bench at the foot of the bed. She handed them to Kahlan and continued talking, “You’ll be expected to keep the room spotless and to serve me at meals. No one but me. Understood?”

Kahlan nodded and unfolded the pants. She held them out to Cara who took them and stepped into them. “Am I supposed to do all the fastenings?” Kahlan asked quietly.

“If this must ever be done in front of anyone, yes,” Cara replied and reached for the zipper.

Kahlan stopped Cara’s hands, “Then I should make it a habit now so I don’t stutter in front of anyone.”

Cara put her hands at her sides and allowed Kahlan space to zip and button the pants. Kahlan picked up the top half of the outfit and held it up. Cara shook her head and handed Kahlan a band of soft bamboo cloth. She started wrapping her breasts before handing it off to Kahlan. Kahlan finished and pressed the Velcro snugly into place. She stepped back allowing Cara to test and adjust the band. She nodded approval and Kahlan slipped the jacket over Cara’s shoulders. Kahlan came around in front of Cara and zipped the jacket all the way. The zipper stopped just above the base of Cara’s neck. Cara turned and picked up three harness pieces, “This is the confusing part.”

She handed the neck piece to Kahlan. Kahlan opened the thick leather armor piece and placed it around Cara’s neck. “The lace up goes in the back. The buckles will go into the waist harness. This is hot as the Keeper’s balls.”

Cara shifted uncomfortably beneath the incredibly hot leather. Kahlan quickly laced and wrapped the waist piece around Cara’s middle. She tightened the laces. Cara groaned and touched her chest, exhaling slowly. “I won’t be able to keep this all on all day.”

Kahlan made her way around Cara, fastening the buckles then smoothing them down. The sensation was calming to Cara. Her eyes involuntarily closed. Kahlan came back around to Cara’s front, her fingers trailing along the leather strips. She tightened the buckled straps around Cara’s waist. Cara opened her eyes and looked down at Kahlan’s hands. Kahlan glanced up at Cara, “Is that okay?”

Cara nodded, not entirely trusting her voice. She her handed the belt and harness for her Agiels. Kahlan reached around Cara’s waist and buckled the belt loosely so that it hung low on Cara’s hips. She knelt down and wrapped the two strips around Cara’s thigh. The buckles locked into place and Kahlan jerked on the harness suddenly causing Cara to stumble. “What are you doing?” she grumbled.

“Making sure it’s tight but not too tight,” Kahlan replied, she tugged at the straps where an Agiel was meant to sit, “There’s only space for one.”

“This is a ceremonial outfit. It’s rarely worn so there’s no need to alter this harness for both my Agiels. Most Mord-Sith only carry one.”

“Ah,” Kahlan shifted her weight onto her knees and tapped Cara’s left leg.

Cara lifted her foot and allowed Kahlan to slip her knee high boots on and zip them. Kahlan reached behind them to the bench and picked up the white gloves. “These too?”

Cara shook her head, missing the contact of Kahlan’s hands on her. She rolled her eyes at herself and pulled the gloves on before grasping the white Agiel. The sting of this Agiel was stronger than her own. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sensation of pinpricks through the gloves and up her arms.

Kahlan stood up and admired her work for a moment. She nodded then met Cara’s eyes. “Now what am I supposed to wear?”

Cara debated the question for a moment. Kahlan placed her hands on her hips, “I’m not traipsing around in lingerie all day. So you better come up with an alternative.”

The unspoken challenge hung in the air between them and Cara grinned mischievously.

“Cara please,” Kahlan tried.

A wide grin slipped across Cara’s lips, she cocked an eyebrow, “I think I like hearing you beg.”

Kahlan took a breath and reminded herself that Cara was just teasing her. This banter was doing nothing for her feelings of ease. She was starting to sense that was Cara’s default defense mechanism. As a result, she tried to give the woman some space. Cara shook her head at herself, “The clothes you packed in your bag can be worn today. That’s part of the reason I didn’t leave them at the warehouse. I would recommend contacts as well.”

Kahlan nodded, “Thank you.”

Cara waved the thanks away and maneuvered herself back into the leather chair to wait for Kahlan to get changed. Cara measured out her breaths behind closed eyes, keeping a light touch on the Agiel at her side. Kahlan dressed quickly in a loose fitting solid blue t-shirt and jeans. A few moments longer and her contact lenses were in her eyes. Cara heard the shuffling and zipping of Kahlan’s bag. Cara opened her eyes and watched Kahlan stuff the bag under the bed then quickly make it. She pulled the duvet up and placed the pillows on top before turning the question to Cara. Cara nodded approval. Kahlan pulled her wild hair back in a ponytail and wrapped a tie around it, “Uh, I’d like to brush my teeth.”

“After breakfast,” Cara stood in front of the door, far enough back for Kahlan to open it, “I wonder what you’ll eat,” she mused as she stepped past Kahlan, “Eyes up, you’ll need to know your way around,” Cara snapped.

Kahlan still had not gotten comfortable with Cara’s ease of switching between hostile and, well, less hostile. Cara pointed to the only place Kahlan needed to know about for now, which was the bathroom. Kahlan took in the ornate scrolling on top of the white pillars surrounding the staircase, the crown molding along the walls and the warm neutral colors said walls were painted. The entire house screamed money which Kahlan knew Darken Rahl had by the fistful. Downstairs was abuzz with activity. Kahlan imagined that cult houses probably looked similar though she doubted the majority of their members were all women. Cara looked like some kind of angry angel in her white formal leathers. Berdine laughed and peeled herself away from Raina’s side, “The way your pet is looking at you, Cara. You did excellent work in breaking her.”

Kahlan looked down at the ground, trying not to blush. Cara smiled and nodded slightly at the comment. She traced her finger down Kahlan’s jaw, “I did didn’t I?” Cara smirked, “You should try it sometime. It’s quite rewarding, breaking a Confessor.”

Raina laughed, it was melodic. Berdine offered up, “Maybe we will. The maid will take her from you in the kitchen, get her appropriate attire and show her the duties she will be responsible for.”

Cara nodded and resumed walking toward the kitchen. Kahlan quickly followed, noting that her interactions with the African American woman and the one with the brown hair were almost friendly in nature. There seemed to be no competition between the three of them. She quietly wondered if the two were lovers and what their names were. She filed that away for later.

Cara snapped her fingers over her shoulder and Kahlan hurried up next to the woman. She looked up, “Yes Mistress?”

“Fetch me a coffee, black.”

Kahlan looked around the room in search of the requested item. Cara sighed, “There,” she pointed next to a tall man in a three piece suit.

_Oh Maker, if I have to wear something like that I’ll die of heat stroke before Cara._ Kahlan trained her eyes on the coffee pot sitting on a hot plate. She picked up a mug and filled it close to the top. She inhaled the smell. Kahlan was not quite to the point of being willing to kill for a cup of coffee but if she was honest, she was close. She returned to Cara with the mug and attempted to hand it to her. Cara looked up at her, from a seat at the long table, with a raised eyebrow, “It is too hot. Blow on it and test it before you offer it to me again.”


	14. Kahlan

Kahlan was so grateful she could have kissed Cara on the spot. The practiced air of indifference made it seem, to anyone potentially listening, that Cara was behaving like a princess. The minute smirk on Cara’s face, however, betrayed the intent to Kahlan. Kahlan blew across the top of the mug as Cara cleaned underneath her nails. Kahlan took a small sip; the liquid burned her mouth so she rolled it around her tongue letting it cool. Cara glanced down at her. Kahlan swallowed and resumed blowing across the top of the drink. “Well?” Cara forced impatience in her voice.

“Still too hot, Mistress,” Kahlan apologized.

A string of snickers floated across the room. Cara glanced up at Garen and several of her other sisters admiring her pet. Garen nodded in Kahlan’s direction, “The perfect place for a Confessor is at a Mord-Sith’s feet.”

Cara’s face broke into a wide devious grin, “Or between one’s thighs.”

Kahlan spluttered and wiped coffee dribble off her chin. She shook her hand and hissed in pain. Cara rolled her eyes, “I did not say burn yourself in your haste to please me, Confessor.”

“Forgive me, Mistress.”

Garen and the others drifted off amidst laughter. Kahlan risked a glare in Cara’s direction which earned her a satisfied smirk and a shrug. “Drink quickly we won’t have much time before Darken returns,” Cara whispered.

Kahlan nodded and took a larger drink. The liquid was finally cool enough to gulp. Kahlan drank half the cup before offering it to Cara. She scoffed and waved the mug back to Kahlan. “You’ve gone and let it get cold now. Fetch me another.”

Kahlan chugged the last bit of coffee and returned to the pot to refill the cup. Cara stood with her hands on her hips. Kahlan rushed back and offered up the drink. Cara took it grudgingly and waved Kahlan back behind her. Cara led Kahlan to the kitchen area. The room was easily twenty degrees hotter than elsewhere in the house. Kahlan glanced at Cara who wiped a bead of sweat off her brow. 

A tall emaciated woman came toward Cara. She was dressed in a caricature of a French maid’s costume. The top half was a black corset leaving little to the imagination; the bottom was a skirt that barely covered anything though, thankfully, it was not ruffled. Adding insult to injury in Kahlan’s mind were the useless black knee high stockings attached to a garter belt and 4 inch stiletto heels. Kahlan took a deep breath. Cara looked the woman up and down, “Those are new.”

“Mistress Cara,” the red head bowed, “I will take your pet from here.”

Cara nodded and turned to Kahlan, “Return to my room once your duties have been explained.”

Kahlan nodded. Cara winked at her as she turned on her heel and left the sweltering heat of the kitchen. “Follow,” the red head said.

Kahlan kept close to the woman leading her through the kitchen, showing her the ins and outs. “You will serve your Mistress her meals then you may eat if she allows it. She may offer you bites from her plate if she wishes you attend her in the dining room or you will return to the kitchen to take the scraps with us. This is the outfit you will wear at all times unless your Mistress commands you wear something else during your private times together,” the woman continued through the kitchen to a back room. 

The next room contained bunk beds, three beds tall, with handcuffs attached to each level. It looked like the room could hold 40 people at any one time if one person slept in each bed. The red head continued, “If your Mistress so desires it, you will sleep here. Most Mistresses prefer their pets stay here when they are uninterested in intercourse.”

Kahlan repressed a shudder at the stench of sweat and dried blood that filled the room. The woman continued walking through to the end of the room. She opened a cabinet and pulled the clothing from a dresser. She eyed Kahlan and switched out the skirt she initially handed her with one that seemed even shorter. “Unless your Mistress commands it, you are to wear your hair down.” The woman pointed at a discreet door behind her, “These stairs lead to the Mistresses’ rooms. It opens near the bathroom. You may come and go via these stairs to attend your Mistress. The Lord Rahl will return today,” the woman ran her fingers along Kahlan’s jawline. “I am his pet. He will enjoy your presence very much.”

“I will do as my Mistress commands,’ Kahlan said.

The red head struck Kahlan’s cheek with her open palm. “You will do as the Lord Rahl commands just as the Mord-Sith do.”

Kahlan licked blood off her lower lip and swallowed. The woman reached out and traced the outline of her hand on Kahlan’s cheek, “Perhaps he should break you and take you from the Mord-Sith.”

Kahlan noticed a light in the woman’s eyes for the first time during their interaction. Kahlan stared straight ahead, holding the clothing to her chest. A baritone voice called from the kitchen, “Come get your scraps.”

The red head smiled at Kahlan and gestured for Kahlan to lead the way back to the kitchen. Kahlan walked, trying to keep her breathing at a slow even pace, _Shit, fuck, oh Creator_. A trough was set up by the door to the backyard with literal scraps left over from breakfast. Half eaten bacon, fruit, pieces of toast filled a large silver metal bucket. Men and women descended on the food as if they had not eaten in days. Perhaps some of the had not, Kahlan observed several extremely emaciated people picking out pieces of fruit. 

The red head looked back toward Kahlan with a predatory grin, she handed Kahlan up a half of a banana. Kahlan took the fruit. She peeled the banana out of its skin and took a bite from the opposite end. Kahlan watched the other men and women shove food into their mouths. The few lucky enough to find fruit deposited the peels and cores into a large trashcan just outside the backdoor. Kahlan dropped the banana peel in and finished the remaining bit of fruit. She felt eyes on her the whole time. When she returned inside the kitchen, she found the red head again and asked, “Is that all? My Mistress asked that I return to her room when I finished here.”

The woman nodded at her. Kahlan returned to the bunk area and quickly made her way up the staircase. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. When she reached out to grasp the doorknob at the top of the staircase, Kahlan noticed her hand shook violently. She opened and closed her fists several times in rapid succession. Kahlan opened the door and oriented herself in the hallway. She forced herself to walk slowly down toward the room she and Cara shared for the moment. Once safely ensconced in the room, Kahlan dropped the clothes and shoved herself into a corner, cradling her knees against her chest. “Spirits, what have I gotten myself into?”

Kahlan stared blankly in front of her, for how long she was unsure. It felt like only a handful of minutes to Kahlan. When Cara came in the room, she did not notice the Confessor on the floor and began unhooking her harnesses. She tossed the harnesses carelessly on the bed and ripped the jacket off. It careened into the wall above Kahlan’s head eliciting a yelp from the woman. Cara shot around with her Agiel drawn. She sighed when she saw the heap on the floor was Kahlan. “Great, they broke you.”

“What the fuck was I thinking?” Kahlan looked up at Cara.

“What happened?” Cara sat down and unzipped her boots.

Kahlan got up and gathered Cara’s discarded clothes. “The emaciated red head—”

“Madeline,” Cara supplied, leaning back on the bed against the headboard.

“Madeline is hyperfocused on me. She mentioned suggesting to Darken that he should break me so I could be his pet.”

Kahlan folded the jacket and harnesses as she spoke. It helped to calm her. Cara chewed on her bottom lip. “We need to keep you away from her then.”

“She hit me when I said I only do as you tell me,” Kahlan stopped and looked over at Cara to gauge her reaction.

Cara stared back at Kahlan, emotionless. Kahlan continued, “She gave me a banana. I didn’t know what else to do so I ate it.”

Cara ran her hands down her cheeks. “Fuck me,” Cara muttered. She took a breath, “Okay, shit. Anyone else’s pet and I could do anything. We can’t let Darken break you. I have to assert that you are mine. Of course the completely unhinged one would have to notice you.”

“Have you ever had a pet before?” Kahlan asked.

“I’ve had playthings but never a pet,” Cara rolled her neck.

Kahlan sat down at the edge of the bed, next to Cara’s feet. She watched the determination to find a solution work across her features. Her eyebrows scrunched together. “The outfits were apparently Madeline’s idea. The other Sisters do not like her. She has the tendency to overstep her bounds. There has to be some way to draw her attention elsewhere.”

“Psychologically speaking, I can’t even begin to decipher how much is her personality and how much is what the breaking did to her. None of the other people made eye contact or even acknowledged my existence. I had really hoped that at least amongst the other broken I’d have some kind of a break from threats.”

Kahlan rubbed the tight muscles at the base of her neck. She was clenching and she needed to figure out a way to relax. She blew air through her closed lips then fell back against the bed. Cara watched Kahlan’s movements, “This is a delicate situation. One we have to approach with tact. Unfortunately this isn’t something I can punch or seduce our way through. I assume Confessing her is out of the question?”

Kahlan opened her mouth then closed it. She wanted to say that it was out of the question. She thought about Dennee pregnant with Darken’s baby. She thought about what they would do to her if she was discovered. She thought about what they would do to Cara if they were discovered. Kahlan turned her head to look at Cara. “Confession isn’t out of the question, no.”

Cara quirked an eyebrow at this and made a considering noise. “As a last resort,” she assured Kahlan.

Kahlan nodded, entirely disgusted with herself. She pushed herself off the bed and began stripping. Cara watched Kahlan tighten the white laces on the front laced corset. Her mind was busy working at the problem of Madeline when Kahlan shucked her pants and slipped the non-skirt on. “You gotta be kidding me,” she groaned.

Cara blinked and refocused, “Holy shit,” she laughed.

Kahlan whipped around and leveled a glare at Cara that could have brought down a building. The skirt was cut at an angle that revealed Kahlan’s entire ass. “I refuse Cara.”

Cara rolled her eyes, “Must you always draw the attention of the least helpful people on the planet?”

Kahlan crossed her arms, “Aside from Madeline, name one instance where I’ve drawn unwanted attention.”

Cara’s eyebrows shot up and she began counting on her fingers, “The puppy, Richard. You drew my attention and for better or worse I am completely the wrong kind of attention.”

“Creator have mercy,” Kahlan grumbled and ripped the skirt off, “I may as well just walk around in my underwear.”

Cara grinned. Kahlan held up a finger, “Not an option.”

“Okay, but if you refuse to wear the uniform, that’s going to draw attention as well. We need some kind of middle ground here. Something that screams I picked it but won’t make you a target.”

Cara snapped her fingers and rooted around in her dresser drawer. She tossed a pair of black leather pants to Kahlan. Kahlan unfolded the item and groaned. “Keep the corset on and the heels.”

Kahlan struggled to pull the pants up. “Shit Cara, these are like suction cups.”

Kahlan lay back on the bed and wiggled into the clothing. She exhaled after finally forcing the leather up just below her belly button. Cara’s tongue slid along the back of her canine, “Definitely worth it.”

Kahlan slipped on the heels and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked intimidating. Cara stood up behind Kahlan. There was now about a half a foot height difference between them. Cara did like to take control of taller people during sex but for the sake of this ruse, she would need Kahlan to appear smaller, not larger. She hummed to herself and circled Kahlan. Her Mord-Sith boots added an inch, maybe two to her height, still leaving her at a disadvantage. “You’re too tall.”

She turned to look down at Cara, not expecting the difference to be quite so vast. “You seem much taller than you actually are,” Kahlan chuckled.

“I need to take up more space than you do if we want you to disappear off Madeline’s radar.”

A knock on the door jolted them from their discussion. Kahlan hunched her shoulders and moved toward the door while Cara returned to leaning back against the bed. Kahlan waited for Cara’s nod before opening the door. Denna shoved her way into the room. Kahlan gave enough space that she was not hit when Denna entered but stood near enough that Denna had to crane her neck to look up at Kahlan. “She is too tall,” Denna waved, “She will need to be barefoot.”

Cara rolled her eyes, “My pet, my rules, Denna. Why are you disturbing me?”

“Lord Rahl has returned and wishes to see you,” she glared at Kahlan, “and your pet in his quarters.”

Cara smiled, “I’m glad to see he makes such good use of your skills, Denna. I was worried he would not know how to utilize your limited usefulness.”

Denna gritted her teeth and raised her arm as if to lash out. Kahlan reached up and grasped Denna’s wrist. Denna’s jaw dropped. Cara smiled contentedly. Kahlan looked up at Cara, “Mistress, she means to do you harm, how shall I deal with her?”

Cara hopped up off the bed and went to stand in front of Denna. “Did you mean to do me harm, Denna? Shall I have my Confessor punish you?”

Denna pulled her arm free and growled, “You will regret this, Cara,” she looked up at Kahlan with unrestrained fear on her face, “Lord Rahl will hear about this.”

“What will he hear, Denna? That I have effectively broken a Confessor and made a perfect weapon to keep both Mord-Sith and any person that might stand against us in line? What have you done Denna?” Cara leaned into Denna’s face.

The muscles in Denna’s jaw worked as she grated her teeth together. She and Cara stood almost nose to nose. With a huff, Denna turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her. Kahlan let out a breath she had not known she was holding. Cara stared at the closed door then slowly turned toward Kahlan. Her lips were pursed and green eyes narrowed. She considered Kahlan for a long moment. Cara turned suddenly and put her white jacket back on. She reattached the harness to her neck and leg then touched her Agiel. “Darken Rahl will not believe that I’ve taken a Confessor strictly as a lover. He will believe that I’ve taken you as a weapon. Look as intimidating as possible. Come, let’s not keep the Lord Rahl waiting.”


	15. Darken

Cara’s heart raced in her chest despite her attempts at willing it not to. This was the test. This was the moment they would either cement their credibility or be killed on the spot. Cara’s fingers traced idly along the top of the white Agiel at her side, sending electrical spikes coursing up her forearms. She quietly cursed herself for agreeing to this suicide mission. Were she any less a woman of her word she would entertain the idea of throwing Kahlan to the wolves. If it came down to her life or the Confessor’s life, she might be tempted to make that decision. Cara’s eyes clocked the D’Haran guards along the hallway. She counted ten then planned for disaster scenarios in which she would be forced to disable them. They would not be the problem, between herself and Kahlan, they would make easy work of the guards, it was her sisters that flanked the door that caused her more pause. It was the blood bond with the man that she could feel behind the ornate wooden double doors.

Cara rolled her neck. She felt knuckles glance across the back of her hand. She rolled her eyes down to her hand and up the arm attached to the hand. Kahlan took a deep breath next to her and swallowed. A smirk snuck onto Cara’s face as she allowed herself a glance at the towering woman next to her. They had a chance. So long as Kahlan’s sister was not so far broken that her mind was gone and there were sisters willing to fight for their freedom. Cara had her suspicions at who would be able to be turned. The creaking of the door pulled Cara from her thoughts. She nodded at the two blonde Mord-Sith who opened it for them. Cara passed by and entered the dimly lit room. The curtains blew as a warm breeze drifted lazily into the room casting light and shadows across the walls. It would be lunchtime soon but from the looks of the room, one would think it was nearing dusk.

Madeline straightened the black sheets on the bed. Dahlia stood behind and to the right of a deep brown leather armchair with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. A man, Kahlan assumed to be Darken, sat still as a statue in the chair. His long hair was swept back in a ponytail at the base of his skull. A pair of pale ripped denim jeans was the only clothing he wore. It somehow both marred and enhanced the image of intimidation he was clearly going for. Cara bent down on one knee. Kahlan quickly lowered herself, sitting back on her heels. She kept her head down, fighting the urge for a glance around for Dennee.

“Cara Mason. The prodigal returns,” a deep voice poured over the room.

“My Lord Rahl,” Cara responded.

“And who is this you’ve brought back to our home?”

Cara’s eyes darted to the side to look at Kahlan. “When you sent me to retrieve the Initiate, we ran into some trouble. I informed Denna and requested back up. Triana and two others assisted my fight with the police and this one. She is a Confessor who was hiding. Upon dealing with the police and the girl, I took it upon myself to break the Confessor.”

Darken leaned forward in his chair. He placed his elbows on his knees and steepled his pointer fingers, resting his chin on his thumbs. “Come here, Confessor.”

Kahlan tilted her chin toward Cara, “Mistress?”

“Go kneel at the feet of your Lord Rahl, Confessor, and do as he commands,” Cara repeated.

Darken snorted derisively as Kahlan stood. “You broke her to respond only to your commands? Perhaps she would benefit from time with me.”

Kahlan poured all her energy into maintaining a docile demeanor. She knelt onto her knees at Rahl’s feet and laid her hands lightly on her thighs. Cara kept quiet. Darken tilted Kahlan’s chin upward. She kept her eyes downturned. “Look at me,” the gentleness he put into his words felt fake even without the benefit of a Confessor’s abilities.

Her blue eyes snapped to stare into one of his dark eyes then the other. He smiled, “You are a vision,” his hand turned and palmed her cheek softly, “Is she not a vision, Dahlia?”

“As my Lord Rahl says,” Dahlia replied, hatred barely disguised in her voice.

Kahlan kept impassive and waited. “I do say. You may return to kneel beside Cara,” he glanced in Cara’s direction, “So you have brought yourself a Confessor as a gift to us, you say. The girl? What of her?”

Cara nodded, “She was dealt with and the body disposed of,” Cara reached into the harness at her waist, “I also retrieved the thumb drive from the breaking chamber, my Lord Rahl.”

She produced the thumb drive. Darken nodded and a D’Haran plucked the item from Cara’s hand. Darken flipped the thumb drive over between his fingers. “Very well,” he replied, “You may keep your Confessor for now. We shall see what work she is suited for. I can imagine a few things she would be proficient at.”

The skin at the back of Kahlan’s neck prickled. “As my Lord Rahl wishes,” Cara replied with a dip of her head.

“The two of you are dismissed for now,” Darken waved.

Cara rose and Kahlan followed a moment after. Kahlan kept her head bowed and her hands clasped lightly in front of her. She worried briefly about whether to attempt intimidating and instead chose to mirror Cara’s posture, keeping her head down until they were out the door and it closed behind them with a dull thump. Cara straightened once they rounded the corner leading to the grand spiral staircase that led from the top floor down to the bottom. Kahlan followed Cara down two floors to their room. She opened and shut the door behind them. Cara immediately started unbuckling harnesses. Kahlan reached out tentatively placing a hand on Cara’s. “Let me,” she said.

“I am capable,” Cara quipped.

Kahlan sighed, “I know but it helps calm me.”

Cara’s eyebrow rose and her lip quirked up. Kahlan rolled her eyes. “Repetitive motions, Cara, not stripping you.”

Cara’s hands fell to her sides. She nodded. Kahlan began unclasping the Agiel holster. She laid the piece on the bed, “So I’m not sure how that went.”

Cara’s eyes flicked down to Kahlan who was unzipping a boot, “Nor am I,” she stepped out of the first boot, “We aren’t dead and weren’t forbidden from leaving the house. He didn’t take you for rebreaking,” Cara shrugged with a lift of her other foot.

Kahlan sat the boots next to the bed. Cara turned and Kahlan worked the hooks on the neck harness. “What was on the thumb drive?”

“The names of all the sisters involved in training Initiates and the names of the girls taken,” Cara chewed her bottom lip as Kahlan gathered both harnesses and placed them into the chest at the end of the bed, “and the names of girls not yet taken.”

Kahlan stilled. She took a breath and closed the lid to the chest. Her hands ran across the surface, Kahlan nodded. Over her shoulder, she heard Cara unzip her jacket. Cara continued before Kahlan could settle on a thought, “They knew about the thumb drive. I’m actually surprised they didn’t find it when they searched my bike.”

“You told them what was on it?” Kahlan rose, crossing her arms under her chest.

Cara nodded with her back to Kahlan. She hung up her jacket and shimmied out of the pants, “Yeah. I don’t know what names are on there. I think they are hoping to find out with the wiretap,” Cara folded the pants and put them in a drawer, “Change into what you wore this morning. We’re going out,” Cara tossed a pair of jeans and a deep forest green tank top on the bed. 

“Where are we going?” Kahlan asked, turning from Cara as she unwound the bamboo cloth from her chest.

“I don’t know yet. Just out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been ages and a day since this was updated. I'm sure folks thought it was abandoned but it isn't. Life happened. All sorts of good things and I'm only just getting back to writing regularly. Don't know if there's any interest still in this piece but I do intend to finish it.


	16. Kahlan

Kahlan reveled in the feel of her jeans and t-shirt. When she slipped her tennis shoes on, she did not restrain the groan that rumbled in her chest. Cara raised an eyebrow in her direction, “It has been less than 2 hours in that clothing. Are you so soft that you cannot handle even mild discomfort?”

“I am capable of doing what I must, but tell me that what you’re wearing now isn’t more comfortable than your leathers,” Kahlan replied.

Cara opened her mouth then closed it. After a considering look and a long inhale, she spoke, “I am most comfortable in my leathers. In other clothing, I feel,” her eyes searched the walls for the words.

“Vulnerable?” Kahlan supplied.

Cara scoffed, “Mord-Sith do not experience vulnerability.”

A laugh fell out of Kahlan before she had the good sense to push it back down. Cara glared into the blue eyes glittering with humour in front of her. She folded her arms under her breasts and leaned back on one leg, hip cocked to the side. “What is so amusing, Confessor?” she spit the last like it was a curse.

Kahlan could have kicked herself. She watched Cara’s well-worn mask of indifference fall back onto her features. _Fuck_ , Kahlan thought.

Cara turned with the force of a hurricane and latched her holster back onto her leg then shoved the two red Agiels into place. “Bring your little sticks, I wish to fight,” Cara said over her shoulder, “Put this on.”

Cara tossed a brown harness on the bed. Kahlan stared dumbly at the leather accessory. Cara opened the door, “Be downstairs in two minutes or be left behind.”

The door slammed behind Cara and Kahlan rolled her eyes. She dug her escrima sticks out of her duffle bag that was shoved under the bed. 

Cara’s entire body thrummed with rage. She stomped down the staircase. Her expression was enough to send the younger Mord-Sith in the opposite direction of Cara’s path. She plucked her keys from a hook on the wall by the main entry.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Denna stepped into the foyer from the dining hall.

Cara turned her glare in Denna’s direction, “Out.”

Denna stepped closer, her thick heeled boots, echoing against the tile. Cara’s eyes rolled down toward the offending sounds then back up to Denna’s eyes. “Who gave you permission to leave?” Denna continued.

Cara’s hands flexed over her Agiels. She stepped calmly into Denna’s space, “Who is going to stop me?”

Denna rolled her eyes then glared at Cara, “One of these days that mouth of yours is going to get you killed. I hope I am there to see it.”

Cara’s eyes flicked over Denna’s shoulder. Denna turned her head to meet cold blue eyes glaring next to her face. Kahlan maintained eye contact, “Mistress, this one threatened you again.”

Kahlan flexed her fingers and reached up toward Denna. Denna flinched and took a step back. Kahlan rerouted her hand to smooth her hair behind her ear and turned to look at Cara. Cara smirked. “Come, Confessor. We’re leaving.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Kahlan bowed her head and followed Cara.

Cara quietly cursed to herself. She was playing with fire, riling up Denna, and she knew it. Her frustration was hitting its boiling point. She knew she needed to release it: a good fight or a good fuck. The latter seemed off the table at least until she was rid of her beautiful shadow. She could not afford to continue picking little battles with Denna if they wanted to stay alive. She hoped the place she had in mind was still abandoned. She did not want to risk her sisters or any D’Harans discovering the extent of Kahlan’s fighting skills. That particular little element of surprise is something she wanted to keep under wraps in case they…Cara shook the thought from her head as she handed a helmet to Kahlan.

For her part, Kahlan remained quiet despite her growing curiosity. She watched Cara put on her own helmet as she mounted the bike. Kahlan slid in behind her. She wrapped her fingers through Cara’s belt loops. Cara walked them back out from under the carport at the side of the estate before starting the bike. 

Kahlan had not expected how much joy she would take in speeding past the parking lot that masqueraded as a highway or how much she would revel in being out of Darken’s compound. Cara was right that her threshold for discomfort was lower than it needed to be in this situation. 

Cara’s muscles were wound tightly like a rubber band ready to snap. Kahlan knew Cara needed to release the energy. She suspected that a simple spa day would not be enough to diffuse the tension radiating from the small woman in front of her. Cara turned the bike toward an approaching exit. Kahlan vaguely recognized the area. From her work, she knew there was a navy base and an air force base in the direction they were headed. It was not what she would classify as the friendliest of areas. Cara wove through the traffic smoothly. Kahlan wondered where on earth they were headed. This was in the opposite direction of the designated meeting place Richard and Zedd had agreed upon. Cara turned them down a street containing industrial buildings in various shades of use ranging from active to abandoned.

Smoke clouds floated over the buildings billowing from giant stacks. Kahlan’s nose crinkled with an itch as she fought a sneeze. Cara drove them down an alley between two tall cement buildings. Each had rows of broken windows along the bottom floors. Cara turned off the motorcycle and walked them behind a row of rusted dumpsters along the side of the shorter building. Kahlan held her helmet waiting on Cara to push the bike into concealment. Cara tilted her neck in the direction of the back of the building. Kahlan followed her through a maze of broken boards and glass on the ground. 

The heavy steel door slid on a rail with a loud groan. Cara waited for Kahlan to enter then slid the door closed behind them. Sunlight filtered in through skylights in the roof. Kahlan wondered to herself what this building might have produced in its day. She imagined machinery of various sizes and shapes lining the floors and people wearing white coats and face masks tending to the products. She looked up to find an office atop a metal staircase overlooking the center of the main floor. Cara quietly watched Kahlan assess the space.

Cara flicked a switch on the wall near the door. Lights blinked on as a generator groaned to life somewhere in the bowels of the building. Kahlan turned to Cara and waited. Cara shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the Confessor’s soft blue eyes. Kahlan smiled in Cara’s direction. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Cara’s eyebrows pinched together and her arms curled reflexively over her chest. Kahlan kept her arms loose at her sides, body language open and welcoming. It was a learned social worker behavior. “I laughed when you were trying to tell me something important to you. I am truly sorry, Cara.”

Cara stiffened. The last time she heard an apology not brought on by torture was when she was a child. Before she was taken. A feeling bubbled up in her chest making her queasy. Her throat closed. Her hand reached for an Agiel before she consciously processed what she was doing. The pulsation up her muscles fought back the fog that started to descend with Kahlan’s words. 

Kahlan watched what she had seen play across countless children’s faces in her office after some type of trauma. The glazing over of the eyes, the minute quickening of the breath and pupils narrowing to pinpricks; all were signs of a panic attack. No sooner did the symptoms appear did they vanish back behind a veneer of calm with a touch to Cara’s Agiel. Even with such a short time in Cara’s presence, Kahlan recognized the action as Cara retaking control. “Let’s spar, Cara,” Kahlan said.

A predatory grin slipped over Cara’s features, lighting her eyes with the thrill of impending violence. She pointed toward the office. Kahlan noticed a pile of mats underneath the stairs. She nodded in understanding. The pair made quick work of spreading the large mat out on the ground. Folded up, the mat seemed too small to be of any real support. Spread out, however, it became approximately a 12x12 square. Kahlan jerked backward when Cara threw a pair of grey cotton pants at her. Cara had already changed out of her jeans into the thin black sweatpants she now wore. Kahlan changed quickly and set about to stretching. She watched Cara, from the corner of her eyes, as she pulled red leather gloves onto her hands. The sight was bizarre against the knee length sweats, forest green shirt and blood red gloves. She looked somewhat like a dangerous Christmas tree, a thought Kahlan wisely kept to herself. Kahlan pushed the sleeves of her t-shirt up over her shoulders and tucked the edges underneath her sports bra.

Kahlan waited for Cara to stretch out, “Hand to hand or with weapons first?”

Cara bit her cheek as she thought and warmed her muscles. With a knee grasped to her chest, she replied, “Begin with weapons with intent to disarm then hand to hand after you lose your sticks.”

Kahlan scoffed, “Awfully confident, Mason.”

“I am simply stating facts, Confessor,” Cara replied with an arched eyebrow.

“Challenge accepted, and what do I get when I disarm you first?” Kahlan asked.

She removed her pair of escrima sticks from the holster Cara had given her. The pair measured just over two feet long so they fit awkwardly in the holster. Cara’s Agiels were about half that length without the grip. Kahlan held the sticks out to her sides and spun them in figure eights by her head. She then placed the sticks on her shoulders and swung each down forcefully right then left five times each. Cara watched before retrieving her Agiels. “You get the benefit of seeing hell freeze over because you are not disarming me first,” she replied with her sticks down at her side.

Kahlan held a stick up over her chest and bowed her head at Cara. Cara smirked but nodded back at her opponent. Kahlan framed her right shoulder with the sticks: left hand stick over top of the shoulder and right elbow held out from her body with the stick under her armpit. Cara stalked around her edge of the mat observing. Kahlan felt like prey stalked by a leopard. Kahlan, unused to feeling like quarry made the first move. Cara had counted on that. Kahlan struck out with an overhead attack from her left arm. Cara batted it easily away and countered. Kahlan swiped the Agiel away a hair’s length from her abdomen. She knew she had the advantage with reach. She could not let Cara get close. They exchanged blows. The sharp clicks of their weapons creating a kind of dance between them.

Kahlan twirled the stick in her right hand. Cara’s eyes tracked the movement. Kahlan swiped the left stick at Cara’s ribcage. Cara ducked under. Kahlan continued around with her back to Cara from the strength of the blow. Cara bent forward making first contact. Kahlan sucked in a breath at the electric current racing up her arm. Her body kept moving on instinct around in a full circle. As she came back around, she held both sticks in both hands and connected with the back of Cara’s knees. Kahlan hooked the sticks upward and pulled with all her strength. Cara felt herself falling. Kahlan’s shoulder throbbed and she circled her arm to try and dim the pain as she reset with the escrima sticks sitting on top of her shoulders. Cara reared back and popped herself back up to standing. “Nice shot,” she smirked.

Cara held her Agiels down at her sides and waited. Kahlan watched as the woman feigned jumping at her. Cara waited to be attacked. Kahlan’s eyebrows scrunched together in thought. She made a slashing blow with her right arm. Cara deflected and parried with both Agiels. Kahlan trapped Cara’s wrists between her sticks and kicked. Cara leaned back enough to avoid the blow. Kahlan swept her leg out at Cara. Cara jumped and stabbed down into Kahlan’s thigh with an Agiel, blocking a blow from Kahlan’s stick with the other hand. Kahlan gritted her teeth at the pain. Starbursts flashed across her vision. Her leg felt paralyzed where the Agiel burned her skin. Kahlan swung blindly in Cara’s direction. Cara deflected with a snap of her wrist, the pain caused Kahlan’s fist to flex and her stick went flying. Kahlan growled in response and managed to marshal her strength in a blow that sent the Agiel searing Kahlan’s flesh flying.

Cara laughed and offered Kahlan and hand up. Kahlan took it. Cara retrieved her fallen Agiel. She then made a show of tucking them in her holster. Kahlan rolled her eyes but relished the break as she collected her escrima stick and set the pair of them on top of her jeans.

Kahlan inhaled and turned to find Cara advancing quickly in a boxing stance, her fists held up around her face. Kahlan’s arm shot up to absorb the blow aimed for her cheek, the other grabbed and tossed Cara past her using the other woman’s momentum. Kahlan elbowed Cara in the back as she passed. Cara stumbled but reset. Cara lurched forward before Kahlan had a chance to get her feet back underneath her. Cara’s fists flashed between Kahlan’s face and body. A right jab to the face. Kahlan blocked. A left hook to the ribs. Kahlan jumped to the side and shot back with a jab of her own. Cara deftly wove out of the way. She jabbed again with her left hand. Kahlan made a circle with her arm, deflecting the blow. Her other hand already moving to lock Cara’s arm against her side in the hook she expected. True to form, Kahlan had hold of Cara before the shorter woman had an opportunity to redirect. Kahlan grinned down at Cara pinned against her body. Cara connected with a body blow against Kahlan’s other side. She shoved hard to break free. Kahlan stumbled backward, breath momentarily knocked from her lungs.

“Okay,” Kahlan breathed mostly to herself.

Kahlan took the offensive this time lashing out with a series of punches Cara blocked easily. Cara retaliated with the swift moves of a seasoned boxer. Kahlan managed to block most of the blows, only allowing glancing body shots. Cara had a rhythm: jab, hook, jab, uppercut, hook, jab. Over and over Cara played the same series. The hook took the most time to reset into so Kahlan waited for her opportunity. Cara’s blows landed less and less until finally after a right uppercut, Kahlan trapped Cara’s arm and swept with her leg behind Cara’s knee and sent them tumbling to the ground. Kahlan pinned Cara to the mat with her thighs bracketing one of Cara’s legs and both of Cara’s arms crossed against Cara’s chest. Cara struggled under Kahlan’s weight. Kahlan had the clear advantage. Their breaths came in ragged gasps. Kahlan leaned down huffing tiredly and laid her torso on Cara’s arms. “Do you yield?” she panted.

Cara hated herself for the surge of desire that flared in her with the Confessor’s body pressed so roughly against her own. _It’s just like sex, take the power back,_ Cara grinned and leaned into Kahlan’s face, “Never.”

Cara wrapped her legs around Kahlan’s waist and grabbed onto Kahlan’s wrists still holding her arms. Cara thrust her hips upward sharply, dislodging Kahlan enough that she was able to swing them over. Kahlan landed on her back with a dull thump. Cara pinned Kahlan’s arms above her head and straddled her stomach. Kahlan’s legs scrabbled for purchase on the mat. She huffed angrily and dropped her head against the mat. Kahlan breathed shallowly, her voice came out breathless and rough, “I don’t have the energy to get you off.”

Cara smirked unrepentantly and ground her hips, “I’m not that hard to get off, Kahlan.”

Kahlan felt like the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She could not stop the image of Cara in her robe that morning on top of her. Her pupils dilated looking into the lush lips barely a foot away from her. Kahlan’s body burned everywhere Cara touched her. She squeezed her eyes closed and sucked her lower lip between her teeth. She felt Cara lean down, Kahlan shivered at the feel of soft breaths against her neck. “Do you yield?” Cara’s lips brushed the shell of Kahlan’s ear.

Kahlan nodded with her eyes still closed. She immediately missed the feel of Cara’s body against her, “Spirits,” she mumbled and pushed the flood of magic that rose with her libido back down.


	17. Dennee

Kahlan settled into the bizarre routine that was living in the Rahl compound. She served Cara her meals with her head down. Madeline thankfully moved on to the new slaves brought into the house two days later. Kahlan still caught the woman watching her from time to time as she would pick through the discarded food stuffs. After four days Kahlan was starving and dazed. Kahlan pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes to the dull throb building there. Cara blew into their room with the force of a hurricane. Kahlan barely registered the words streaming from Cara’s mouth. “I swear to the Creator, Denna is going to find herself on the burning end of both my Agiels.”

As Cara spoke, she unzipped her leather jacket. Kahlan squinted at her from the chair by the window. She felt like Cara was speaking a foreign language. Even her name sounded strange when Cara said it close to her face. Cara rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room. Kahlan had no idea to the passage of time, she felt like she blinked and the door closed then blinked again and a very angry blonde woman had a sandwich shoved under her nose. “Take a bite, Kahlan,” Cara said—not unkindly.

It was a simple ham and cheese sandwich but it tasted to Kahlan like the most decadent meal she had ever eaten. Cara sat at the end of the bed with her legs and arms crossed. “I need you to tell me when you aren’t getting enough food. When we were younger, our metabolisms could handle not eating for a few days. I need you at fighting strength.”

Kahlan nodded as she chewed. Once she was able to swallow without choking on the food, she offered, “Thank you, Cara. You were right. I’m too soft for this. I’m not even sure what I need to do. I’m trying to just fade into the background. Not draw the wrong kind of attention.”

Cara nodded and leaned back against the bed to stare at the ceiling. “I don’t know how it is amongst the servants but with my sisters you’d be setting yourself up to be taken advantage of. A sister would offer you food and drink and safety. She would protect you from the others. Then she would own you. She would take her payment however she saw fit once you were stronger or entirely dependent on her. It’s a different form of breaking within our ranks. That is if you were lucky and you are the type that would be lucky. If you were unlucky you would become the whipping girl. Depending on the sisterhood you found yourself in you could be tortured for years that way. It’s best to just find the highest ranked you think you can take in a fight and assert yourself as soon as possible.”

It was the longest Cara had ever spoken to Kahlan about her life. It had begun happening more and more since the day they sparred. She chewed the last bite of her sandwich to allow herself time to wade through the landmines that lay ahead of her. The silence made Kahlan’s skin itch but Cara seemed to enjoy the quiet. Kahlan sat the paper plate on the table next to the chair she sat in. “None of the servants would be difficult to take in a fight, least of all Madeline. I am not certain though that getting back on her radar is my safest option.”

“Oh no,” Cara sat up with a raised eyebrow, “Madeline is batshit. You need to steer clear of her. But I’ve used you to advantage in power plays with other Mord-Sith. You should be able to at least use your stature to get food. If you aren’t fighting for food, odds are that Madeline has noticed.”

Kahlan nodded. “Cara?”

Cara turned back to look at Kahlan with her bottom lip sucked into her mouth in thought. Kahlan watched for a moment too long as a smirk slipped across Cara’s lips. Kahlan cleared her throat, “Thank you. I’ll tell you next time before I my blood sugar gets too messed up.”

Cara nodded her understanding with the all too knowing grin still on her face. Kahlan could not help but chuckle. “Stop it,” she scolded.

Cara shrugged and dropped back against the bed, “I cannot help how irresistible I apparently am.”

“Sure,” Kahlan replied.

A knock at the door brought Kahlan to her feet. She opened the door without stepping aside. Dahlia glared at Kahlan. Kahlan calmly looked into Dahlia’s seething brown eyes. Dahlia crossed her arms over her chest and waited. Kahlan, now refueled, could have played the waiting game with Dahlia forever. Cara spoke behind her, “Allow her entrance, Confessor.”

Kahlan stepped aside and turned her gaze to the floor. 

“The Lord Rahl requires your presence, Cara,” the venom in Dahlia’s voice was a near physical thing.

Cara nodded. Dahlia’s hand clenched at her side. Kahlan watched Cara’s pupils dilate. She fought an instinct to step between Cara and Dahlia. Dahlia’s face showed more emotions than Kahlan could count. She silently wondered about what Cara shared with her about the weaker sisters, specifically whether Dahlia had been one of those. As if feeling Kahlan’s eyes on her, Dahlia turned toward the Confessor. “Alone,” she added before turning on her heel.

She slammed the door behind her. Cara blinked at the noise. Her jaw was clenched so tightly Kahlan feared she would crack a tooth. Cara blinked twice before turning to Kahlan. “Your bag.”

Kahlan opened her mouth to which Cara pointed at the bed and made an up motion with her finger. Kahlan knelt to retrieve her duffle from its resting place. Cara opened the side zipper once she had it then removed the small listening device. “Last one.”

Cara stuffed the small flat metal device under her glove against her palm. A feeling surged in Kahlan. She wanted to shout at Cara not to go or to be careful or she was not even sure. Her hand reached for Cara’s where the bug was hidden. Her thumb grazed over the spot. When she looked up at Cara, the blonde’s eyes were closed. _Be safe, don’t go,_ “Good luck,” Kahlan whispered.

Cara nodded. Kahlan zipped Cara’s red jacket and ran her hands over the leather at Cara’s shoulders. They looked at one another. Kahlan wanted to cup Cara’s cheek and tell her she did not have to go. She did not have to do this. She knew those were pretty lies. Cara wanted to be free and Kahlan needed to save Dennee. Instead she squeezed Cara’s shoulders and stepped aside.

The door clicked closed behind Cara and Kahlan exhaled, “Protect her, Creator.”

Two D’Haran soldiers flanked the wood double doors leading to Darken’s room. Semi-automatic guns hung on a sling around their necks. Cara raised an eyebrow at the men as she waited for them to grant her entrance. She clocked the noticeable absence of any other Mord-Sith in the hallway. The idea of making an attempt on Darken’s life flashed briefly in her mind. Her hand unconsciously moved to her hip. Her fingers met air and she glanced down. Her heartbeat sped. She did not remember taking off her holster. Had Kahlan done it? Her eyebrows scrunched minutely. As her mind reeled, she missed the door open and when a woman that looked strikingly like and unlike Kahlan stood in front of her, Cara blinked rapidly to reorient herself.

Bile rose in her throat as she took in the sight that was—what she presumed was—Kahlan’s sister. She wore black lingerie that framed her swollen pregnant belly. Her hair fell in long blonde waves around her shoulders. At a glance the hair set them apart but those blue eyes that stared at Cara without seeing were unmistakably similar to Kahlan. “Mistress Cara,” Dennee bowed her head slightly, chin resting against a Rada’Han and waited.

“Enter,” Darken spoke from somewhere inside the room.

Kahlan paced the small room she shared with Cara. The closed drapes left the room dark and still. Kahlan’s ears strained to hear sounds aside from the soft thumping of her stilettos against the carpet. She looked at her duffle on the bed. She zipped the small side pocket from where Cara had removed the listening device. She ran her hand over the spot where her escrima sticks hid, taking comfort from their proximity. She fought back a wave of fear for Cara as she slid the bag back under her side of the bed. 

Kahlan quickly began smoothing the crimson satin sheets. The pillows in black cases, she straightened and leaned up against the headboard. Her mind raced at what Darken wanted from Cara alone. No scenario she imagined included any happy interaction. She pulled the dark gray duvet up the bed. Kahlan opened the chest at the edge of the bed and folded Cara’s white leather outfit. The shiny leather was smooth underneath her fingers. She pulled the matching neck harness and belt on top of the outfit. She found the red harness and tucked it safely to the side next to the white boots. A glimpse of red at the side of the bed caught Kahlan’s eye. She bent around to drag the item toward her, “Oh Creator,” Kahlan held the belt and Cara’s Agiels in her hands. 

Burning electrical pulses coursed up her arms with the whine the Agiels emitted. Kahlan dropped the Agiel and looked at the burn mark against her palm from where she had gripped it. “Please keep her safe.”

Cara’s eyes took in the room before her. Dennee closed the door softly behind them. Darken Rahl leaned against a large unlit marble fireplace. He wore a black bespoke suit that hugged his body tightly. His shoulder length hair hung loose around his face. He turned to look at Cara in her red leathers. “I see my suggestion was received,” he nodded at Cara’s waist.

She looked down and spread her arms to her sides slightly, she wanted to ask how and why. Darken’s lips curled, his eyes carrying mirth, “It seems my practicing is producing dividends.”

Cara knew confusion was painted across her features. She closed her eyes to feel the connection to Darken. It was there like a humming against her skin. She felt a tug at her arms. Her eyes popped open and found Dennee helping her back to her feet. When had she kneeled? What was going on? Tendrils of fear prickled at her skin. She looked up at Darken who looked tired now, leaning against the back of his brown leather chair. He took a breath. “Undress.”

Unsure who was being addressed, Cara stayed still. Darken rolled his eyes, “You, Cara.”

Kahlan wished for a clock in their bedroom, something to distract her from the thoughts raging in her head. The door creaked open and Kahlan shot to her feet. She stood next to the bed with her hands clasped loosely in front of her. “Mistress,” she started.

Cara closed the door behind her without a word and unzipped her jacket. Kahlan took a step toward Cara. Cara’s hand shot up. Kahlan stopped. The jacket dropped onto the bed. Bruises peppered Cara’s chest. The white tank top underneath stretched across her torso barely hiding burns on Cara’s abdomen. Kahlan’s heart skipped a beat. Her breath caught. She glanced down at Cara’s still gloved hands. Cara pulled a new tank top and underwear from her dresser. “I will require your assistance with the salve on my back,” Cara finally said.

Kahlan nodded and carefully took Cara’s underclothes from her without touching the woman. Cara pulled the gloves off her hand. Kahlan clocked the lack of listening device and grit her teeth as she opened the door for Cara. She trailed closely behind Cara to the bathroom. Angry red scratches littered Cara’s back. Kahlan willed herself calm. She opened the door to the bathroom. Two Mord-Sith laughed together as they washed their hands. Cara stalled just inside the door. The women glanced her direction and nodded. Cara continued into the room. “Would you like me to draw you a bath, Mistress?” Kahlan asked.

The women smiled and stifled giggles as they quickly made their exit. Cara locked the door behind them. Kahlan pushed the stall doors open to check for anyone else. Cara silently stripped out of the rest of her clothing. Without a word, she stepped into the shower and turned the water on to scalding. Kahlan pulled a towel out of the closet. She laid it on a bench outside of the glass shower doors. Steam quickly filled the shower area. Kahlan obtained the healing salve and bandages from the tall bamboo medicine cabinet next to the sinks.

Cara enjoyed the feeling of the water cascading down her body. She had no idea how to tell Kahlan about Dennee or Darken’s new and improved Mord-Sith control. She blew a deep breath out through her mouth before turning off the water. She reached out for the towel she had seen Kahlan lay out for her. She quickly dried herself and made her way to where Kahlan waited for her to care for her wounds. 

Kahlan’s touch was so gentle it made Cara want to scream. She could not stand the pity directed at her. She was Mord-Sith. She did not need anyone’s pity. She nearly snapped such at Kahlan when the woman came around to her front and applied a cold glob of salve to the burn on her stomach. Kahlan looked up at Cara. She was shocked to find a distinct lack of pity staring back at her. What she found was much more dangerous. She closed her eyes and shook the look of barely restrained rage from her memory.


	18. Zedd

“Richard, my boy, we are going to be late meeting Cara and Kahlan if we don’t leave right now,” Zedd shouted.

Richard roughly shoved a stack of papers in a manila folder. “I know. I’m coming!”

Zedd stuffed half a hot dog in his mouth, chewing noisily as Richard joined him by the door. The drive to the meeting place would take about an hour. Zedd stocked up from the snack machine to tide him over on the ride out to the beach. Richard often wondered how much of the wizard’s paycheck went to food or if the old man wrote it off as a work expense.

The sound of Zedd chomping on a bag of chips and static from the police radio made Richard’s brain itch. “So how much are we telling the girls about what we’ve found out?” he half shouted over Zedd’s crunching.

“Neither of them strike me as women who would enjoy being called girls, Richard,” Zedd started.

Richard held his hand up with a nod, “You’re right.”

Zedd nodded and watched the buildings pass by them on a rare section of the freeway where they could travel the limit. “I think we ought to tell them enough to keep them safe but not enough to get them killed.”

Richard rolled his eyes and soothed a muscle in his temple that twitched at the vague reply. “Great. Thanks.”

Zedd smiled broadly at the man next to him and chuckled. Richard glared at the street, “You were purposely vague because you don’t know either. Got it.”

“Correct. I say we just play it by ear. That’s served us well enough over our time working together. We should hear what they have to report first and maybe just share what is best to keep their heads above water?”

“I don’t know. Cara seemed the kind to want to have all the information and a concrete plan of attack. This stumbling around half blind doesn’t seem like something that would make her particularly happy,” Richard signaled and turned the car down a side street that was closer in size to a large alleyway between storefronts four blocks down from one of the less frequented beaches in the area.

“I don’t think Miss Amnell is much different on that front.”

Richard pulled into a parking spot behind a building two blocks away from where they were to meet Cara and Kahlan. Richard checked his newly crew cut hair in the rearview mirror before locking the unmarked vehicle and jogging to catch up to Zedd. The coffee shop where they decided to meet was a quirky local hole in the wall. A place far enough away from the downtown precinct and Darken’s compound that it was unlikely anyone would recognize any of the four of them. Zedd scanned the interior. Tucked in the corner were the two women. They sat in two high backed overstuffed chairs close to one another. Zedd slapped Richard’s shoulder and tilted his head in their direction. Richard nodded from the line to order drinks. “A black coffee, please, my boy. As hot as they can make it.”

Richard nodded. He cast a glance at the women in the corner. Zedd ducked under a low beam in the ceiling in the raised area where they sat. A lone table lamp in the corner lit them in an orange glow. Kahlan smiled at Zedd. Cara simply nodded as he angled a loveseat closer to them. Zedd studied them carefully. “You are in need of healing,” he whispered to Cara.

Cara cleared her throat and shook her head, “I am fine, wizard.”

Kahlan took a long drink from her cappuccino mug. “Thank you,” Cara added.

Zedd nodded. The trio sat quietly waiting on Richard to join them. A few minutes passed before Richard came over, two steaming mugs in hand. He handed one to Zedd then waved at the women and sat next to his partner. Zedd sat the cup on a long coffee table between them. He stretched his hands in front of him before muttering an incantation under his breath. Cara fought the instinct to deflect the magic. Her hands flexed around her mug. Kahlan waited quietly. “There. I muffled our conversation so it sounds like small talk and altered the perception of our appearances slightly,” Zedd said as he picked up his mug.

“The devices are planted,” Cara stated, “One in the dining room and the other in Darken’s bedroom.”

Kahlan glared into her mug. Cara continued blandly, “He has the thumb drive. I was tasked with finding two of the girls on the list yesterday.”

Kahlan looked over at Cara at this. “It is the guise under which we were given permission to leave the compound,” Cara continued.

Kahlan’s nostrils flared as she took in a deep breath to cover her reactions behind a mask of stoicism. Zedd drank from his cup. Richard jotted the information down in a notebook he produced from his back pocket. Cara pulled a piece of paper from the breast pocket of her navy plaid flannel shirt. Kahlan could see her neat, sharp handwriting as she unfolded the paper. Cara handed it to Richard. “Those are all the names I was given. I was only given addresses for the two we are meant to track today though.”

Richard took the paper. His eyes widened at the two columns of names. “Spirits,” he whispered before handing the list to Zedd.

Zedd looked over the thirty-some names. “We will track them down and assign an extra patrol car for their neighborhoods,” Richard offered.

“Have you made any progress on how to break the Bond?” Cara asked.

“I have been in contact with several of the Wizard’s Orders across the country. They are working with us to find a solution. One group caught a magic wielder not long ago who had discovered a way to extract Confessor magic. As of now that seems like the best likely solution, if we can find a way to alter it to harness Rahl magic,” Zedd beamed.

“In the meantime, Darken Rahl has learned to control Mord-Sith with his thoughts. I need some weapon to fight this or this operation may become compromised. It is not perfect at the moment and he seems only interested in using it to meet his sexual desires. He will develop this skill though.”

Kahlan’s fists clenched in her lap. Richard rubbed his hand over the back of his head, “How can I strengthen the Bond with you? I’ve not found any information at all about how Rahl magic works.”

“You could break me,” Cara stated.

“Excuse me,” Kahlan whispered.

She made a beeline for the restroom. It was a small bathroom for which she thanked the Creator as she locked the door behind her. She washed her hands at the sink to give herself something to do. She watched the soap lather on her skin with a sigh. The water was just a touch too hot and it burned. She dried her hands with the paper towels then ran her hands over her high ponytail. When she exited, she felt a wall slide into place in her emotions. They were doing what they must. If Cara could do the things she was having to then Kahlan had no excuse. She set her jaw and returned to her seat.

“—Darken’s computer.”

“I am not a hacker, Richard,” Cara seethed.

“All you have to do is plug in this thumb drive and click on it. It will do the rest,” he said.

Kahlan snatched the item from between his fingers and shoved it in her pocket. “It’ll get done,” she replied.

Cara glared at Kahlan but in lieu of a response, folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair. Richard nodded. Zedd’s brow furrowed at Kahlan’s first statement of the meeting. “Is there anything else?” Kahlan asked before taking a sip of her now cool coffee.

Cara stared at her half empty cup sitting on the table. Richard glanced a question at Zedd. Zedd closed his eyes, “We’ve managed to piece together a vague timeline of events that Darken Rahl is planning. It seems that he and the Keeper—whose real name we can’t seem to track—are supposed to have a meeting in the next week or so. We need to know when and where. The D’Harans we’ve arrested have been less than co-operative let alone informed.”

Cara nodded, “Thus the hacking.”

“Precisely,” Zedd replied.

“We don’t think Darken is stupid enough to keep the information all in one place on his computer or perhaps even at all. It’s a shot in the dark that we hope might pay off,” Richard admitted.

Cara laughed. It was more a burst of air pushed through her nose. “This whole operation is a shot in the dark that you hope pays off.”

“One where your lives are conveniently not at risk,” Kahlan added.

Zedd looked between Cara and Kahlan. Both looked a bit more on the exhausted side than he had anticipated. Zedd made up his mind to tell them all they knew. Richard opened his mouth first however, “The Keeper is planning on opening the veil to the Underworld. Darken Rahl is helping facilitate that. The Sisters of the Light have a prophecy that says something called the Stone of Tears can prevent this. We aren’t actually sure if it exists or not. All these groups work on the fringes and in weirdly cryptic and infuriating riddles. The kind of nonsense leads we are tracking seem better suited to fantasy novels. The entire country is working on this.”

Cara raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. Kahlan shook herself from the information, “If that’s the case, why is the FBI not leading this investigation. No offense but should this not be a bit higher up the food chain than local police?”

Cara hid a grin behind a sip of her coffee. Zedd nodded sagely, “The FBI is involved, however,” Zedd looked over his shoulder despite his confidence in his spells, “The Keeper has had control of the FBI for a number of years if one believes the rumours.”

Cara held her cup in her lap, “So how do you expect to possibly take down the Lord Rahl and the Keeper if they are so well insinuated in law enforcement?”

Richard rubbed both hands over his hair then slid them down his face. 

“You have no idea. Fantastic,” Kahlan commented.

“You sound like Cara,” Richard grumbled.

Zedd watched Kahlan’s cheeks flush light pink. Cara, for her part, snickered into her coffee mug. “Joking aside,” Zedd glared at Richard, “We’ve already gotten a bit of information from the bugs you planted. The one that went online yesterday has been illuminating.”

Cara swallowed but stared straight at the wizard. Zedd smiled sadly at the woman. She scoffed, “Are we done here?”

Kahlan watched the interaction. Fury rising in her veins again. “Yeah,” Richard replied.

Cara stood, “Do you happen to have an amulet or something that could muffle conversations?”

Zedd’s eyes squinted in thought, “I don’t but I could charm an item to act as an amulet.”

Cara patted the pocket on her button up then shoved her hands in her pockets. Kahlan drained the last of her coffee. The thud drew everyone’s eyes. Kahlan handed the handle of the mug she just shattered to Zedd. “Oops,” she shrugged.

A smile that Kahlan was beginning to suspect was genuine lit Cara’s face. Richard looked horrified and Zedd just chuckled. 

“I’m sure you guys can pay for one mug,” Kahlan shrugged.

“We can, my dear,” Zedd smiled as he took the piece from Kahlan.

Zedd held the handle in one hand and placed his other just over the top. With a few quick words, the handle lit up a pale blue then faded back to shiny white. “Keep it wrapped up when you don’t need to use it. I’m afraid the range on this is rather limited.”

Zedd wrapped it in a cloth napkin lying on the table between them then handed it back to Kahlan. Cara nodded, “Thank you, Wizard.”

His eyes softened at the edges at Cara. She huffed and excused herself. Richard smiled weakly at Kahlan. “Has she told you about yesterday?” he asked.

Kahlan shook her head, “And I’ll not push.”

Zedd nodded. Richard just stared at the wall behind Kahlan’s head. “Thank you for this,” Kahlan held up the wrapped handle and made to leave.

“Two days, same time and place,” Richard called, “With the thumb drive.”

Kahlan waved over her shoulder with her empty hand before going through the barrier around them. Zedd let the protections drop. Richard sighed, “You don’t think we ought to tell Kahlan that Rahl is using her sister to torture Mord-Sith?”

“No, my dear boy. That is not ours to tell this time.”

Richard gripped the sides of the chair before leaning close to his partner, “She probably thinks he raped her though.”

Zedd sighed, “Which is a lesser of two evils to think, Richard?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so if I were writing a book I would spend a few chapters on the adventures of Zedd and Richard trying to figure out how to stop the Keeper. This is a Cara x Kahlan fic though and I'm not sure how you guys would feel about a detour. I'd probably also spend some time with Darken and Dennee. 
> 
> Is this something you guys would want to see in context of this story? I don't want to stray too far from what you guys are wanting but I do want to give a complete story. There's ways to do that without spending whole chapters away from Cara and Kahlan.
> 
> I just would like to know what you all would prefer to see. If you want to see what's going on outside of our little Cara x Kahlan bubble please let me know in a comment or a Tumblr message.


	19. Darken

Cara wove through surface street traffic on their way to the first address she had been given. The girl’s name was Erica Sanderson. She lived in a condominium community thirty minutes north of where they met Richard and Zedd. Cara pulled the bike up to an open spot street side in front of the condo’s office. “You’re my girlfriend, we’re here for an open house,” she said to Kahlan as she smoothed strays down on Kahlan’s head. Kahlan nodded.

Cara linked arms with Kahlan and held her helmet in the other hand. Kahlan pressed the call button on the door with her knuckle. She readjusted her helmet under her arm as they waited. A balding man in his 50s leaned around the open door in the office to squint at the women. His voice was gruff over the intercom, “How can I help you?”

Kahlan pressed the button again, “We’re here for an open house.”

The door buzzed. Cara untangled their arms and opened the door for Kahlan. Cara came up behind Kahlan and rested her hand on the small of Kahlan’s back, “I think the unit is F212?” she smiled.

The man’s chest puffed and he fumbled for a clipboard on his messy desk. “Yeah, that’s right. The showing starts in 15. There’s a table in the courtyard where you lovelies can wait.”

Cara pulled away from Kahlan and leaned over the desk. She twirled a piece of her blonde hair around her finger, aware fully of how much cleavage was on display from her tight scooped neck tank top. The man’s eyes flashed down for a minute too long. Kahlan rolled her eyes but could not help but grin. “Maybe you could answer some questions for me and my girlfriend?”

At this, the man’s eyes moved up to take in all of Kahlan from black skinny jeans up to her form fitting v-neck top. Kahlan smiled shyly. “Anything,” his entire face lit up.

“How safe is this area?” Cara continued.

“Oh we have cameras all over the courtyards for each building and in the elevators and stairwells. There’s one at every entrance. It’s monitored by our security company who also gives us a guard to walk the premises from dusk to dawn. It’s a quite safe community. We’ve a fair number of celebrities who live here.”

As he spoke, Kahlan made her way up to Cara’s side and ran her hand over Cara’s back. Cara straightened and leaned into the contact. “And what is the parking situation?” Kahlan added.

“Gated, at all entrances,” he grinned in a way Kahlan could only describe as lecherous then continued, “There’s cameras at the gates as well. You’ll get a keycard when you move in. It’s tandem parking beneath the buildings. Some spaces are above ground and some are below. The F building parking is underground.”

Cara slipped her hand in Kahlan’s back pocket eliciting a glance from the taller woman. Cara smiled broadly but it didn’t reach her eyes, “Thank you. Mind if we look around a bit before the open house?”

“Nope, not at all, I’m Frank if you have any other questions,” he buzzed the door that led to the condos next to the office and watched the pair walk away.

Once they were out of eyesight of the office building, Kahlan moved to pull away. Cara tugged her back toward her hip. “There’s video screens in the office.”

Kahlan glanced around her, “He said the security company monitors it.”

“I’m sure they do but he also had a bank of screens that can only be for watching the cameras,” Cara smiled.

Cara took a deep breath and let it out, “This place seems like a wash. It’d be too much work for one girl. Good candidate or not, there’s too many moving parts.”

“Probably should still check out the place so pervy back at the desk doesn’t get suspicious?” Kahlan asked.

Cara nodded. They followed the signs to F building and found a seat with several other people waiting to see the space. 

The second girl: Jennifer Rainer was very vulnerable to being taken. The girl lived in a wealthy neighborhood where she came home after school to an empty house until 6:00 when her mother got off work. None of the neighbors paid attention to anything but themselves. It was the perfect set up for the girl to be taken. Kahlan prayed to the Creator that Richard and Zedd set up the extra patrols quickly. Their recon could save Erica but left Jennifer vulnerable.

By the time they pulled the motorcycle into the carport, Kahlan was exhausted. She still had to get changed into her corset, change Cara into her leathers, and serve her dinner before they could call it a day. All she wanted was to soak in that giant tub and let the tension melt away. Cara took Kahlan’s helmet from her with a sigh. “I just want to soak in the tub for three days,” she rolled her neck.

Kahlan snickered. Cara quirked her eyebrow to which Kahlan replied, “I was just thinking exactly the same thing.”

“Go to the kitchen and bring the food to my quarters. I will meet you there. Don’t bother changing,” Cara waved dismissively.

“Yes, Mistress,” Kahlan bowed her head as two Mord-Sith walked past them.

“Garren,” Cara nodded.

“Cara. Denna was starting to wonder if you planned on returning at all,” the tall Asian woman replied.

“In her dreams,” Cara rolled her eyes.

“Not just her,” Garren muttered.

Cara gritted her teeth but continued walking back to the house. She hung her keys on the hook by the door. Kahlan detoured to the kitchen while Cara made her way up the stairs toward Darken’s chambers. Her stomach did flips and she hoped to the Creator that his pet Confessor would not be with him today.

Dennee stood behind and to the right of Darken where he sat in his chair. The Rada’Han glinted in the dim light of the room. Denna stood to his left. Cara relayed the information about the two girls to Darken and to Denna. Darken waved a hand in Denna’s direction. A clear dismissal, the woman cast a weary glance at Dennee before bowing to Darken Rahl and blowing past Cara. The wooden door closed softly behind the woman, a move of which Cara had not known Denna was capable.

“Dennee, come,” Darken motioned over his shoulder.

Dennee moved to sit in front of Darken’s feet. Her hands moved her hair out of his way. Bile rose in Cara’s throat as his fingers trailed along Dennee’s throat to the back of the Rada’Han. A key appeared in his other hand and he unlocked the device. “Raina informs me that you were given a Rada’Han for your Confessor,” Darken spoke as Dennee’s long blonde hair fell back over her shoulders.

Cara nodded, “Yes, Lord Rahl.”

“And yet you do not keep her chained,” he nodded to Dennee.

Dennee slid herself forward and wrapped her delicate fingers around Cara’s neck.

Cara inhaled raggedly. “Does my Lord Rahl wish her collared?”

“Yes, Cara. At all times. I trust I do not need to put a camera in your chambers to ensure this?” he cleaned underneath his fingernails.

“No, my Lord Rahl. It will be done,” Cara stared into Dennee’s eyes.

“Return,” Darken commanded.

Dennee released Cara and rose awkwardly to her feet around her growing belly. “You will not be leaving the house tomorrow. Once your sisters check your intel I will reassess. It has been brought to my attention that your attitude has been somewhat lacking.”

“I understand, my Lord Rahl. I will do as you command,” Cara could hear her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

“I know you will,” he smiled, “Go collar your pet.”

Cara felt the world spin as she closed the door behind her. She willed herself calm as she made her way down to their room. Cruelty. Her world was cruelty and power. She straightened her shoulders and turned the knob to enter their room. Their room, her room. Her world. She would do what must be done. Kahlan had pulled the side table out in front of the leather chair. A plate of food was arranged waiting for Cara. “Did you eat?” she asked Kahlan.

Kahlan nodded, “I took an extra chicken thigh for myself.”

Cara nodded. “Thank you,” she said as she walked past where Kahlan sat at the foot of the bed.

She unbuttoned her shirt and slung it into the dresser then leaned in to take out the Rada’Han from where she had hidden it after Raina brought it to her. The thin ring of silver thumped onto the bed. Kahlan looked down at it and chewed her lip. She dug the mug handle from her pocket. She unwrapped the item. Her lips moved but Cara could not hear. With a sigh, she moved closer. It was not until she sat down on the bed next to Kahlan, their knees bumping lightly that she could hear the woman. “Start over please,” Cara said.

She looked so tired. Kahlan repeated herself, “Why now? Why the Rada’Han now? It’s been a week and no one has required it.”

Cara picked at the hem of her blue tank top. It nearly matched Kahlan and Dennee’s eye colour. “My picking at Denna I suppose. The Lord Rahl is testing my obedience.”

Kahlan reached out and covered Cara’s hand that was tugging at her shirt. Cara stilled. She looked up at Kahlan’s earnest blue eyes. It made her chest ache. “I trust you,” Kahlan said.

Cara felt something in her crack open. It raced through her veins like fire and ice simultaneously. She looked down at their hands and pulled away, “You shouldn’t.”

Kahlan watched Cara retreat into herself. Kahlan picked up the Rada’Han and slipped it around her neck. She closed the latch. Emptiness enveloped her. The hum in her center where her power sat was suddenly vacant and Kahlan struggled to breathe through the panic. She immediately regretted it and clawed at her neck to release the clasp. “Spirits, Cara please open it.”

Cara closed her eyes before retrieving the key from the dresser and handing it to Kahlan. Kahlan’s fingers fumbled clumsily at the locking mechanism. Cara stilled Kahlan’s hands with a touch to her forearms. She took the key from Kahlan and unlatched the circlet. It fell into Kahlan’s lap. Cara dropped the key into Kahlan’s lap before sitting down to eat her meal. While Cara ate, Kahlan stared dumbly at the piece of metal in her lap.

Cara finished her meal while Kahlan tried multiple times to slip the Rada’Han back on. She tested the item. She tried the latch in the front first. She quickly unlocked it. She tried again. She got it clasped and halfway turned before she had to unlock herself again. The third time, she managed to get the Rada’Han situated and took several slow deep breaths before ripping the thing around to unlatch it. Cara watched a thin line of blood trickle down Kahlan’s neck where she cut herself in her haste. Cara glowered at her empty plate. 

Cara cracked her neck and slid the table away from her. She sat next to Kahlan on the bed and placed the broken handle back on Kahlan’s lap in trade for the Rada’Han. Her fingers ran along the ridges on the circlet. “You keep the key so you can slip it off if you need to,” Cara paused and touched the blood on Kahlan’s neck, “I’ve seen Dennee.”

Kahlan’s mouth opened and closed with no sounds escaping. Cara moved behind Kahlan and held up Kahlan’s hair. Kahlan took a steadying breath. Her fingers trembled as she latched the Rada’Han around her neck. Cara let Kahlan’s hair fall back down around her shoulders. Cara stared at Kahlan’s back as she spoke, “He is using her to,” Cara fumbled around in her brain for words.

Kahlan turned around and took hold of Cara’s hands. “He’s using her as a death threat isn’t he?”

Cara nodded. Kahlan pressed on without looking, “Does she look ok?”

Cara moved to sit beside Kahlan with a shrug, “She is very pregnant.”

Kahlan nodded. “I need to see her.”

“He keeps her on a very short leash, Kahlan. She is thoroughly broken,” Cara grimaced but soldiered on, “You need to allow for the possibility that she cannot be saved.”

“My sister would rather die than be someone’s slave again,” Kahlan straightened, “She would want to be…”

“I understand,” Cara replied, “We need to clean your neck.”


	20. Dennee

“Fane,” Darken spoke to the man standing across from his desk, “How is the hunt for the Stone progressing?”

The man was built like a former football player. One could see that his body once was taut muscle but had faded over time becoming fat that sat on his belly. Fane ran a hand over his stubbly head. “It is proving more difficult than anticipated.”

Darken pinched high up on the bridge of his nose. “If it was easy, anyone could have found it by now.”

“I understand that, however, there are more fakes out there than we planned for. Every fool who thinks they have the Stone of Tears is either a con or deluded. Are you even certain that the Stone exists? It could be a fairy tale. Relying on the words of the Sisters of the Light seems questionable even to begin with, how do you know you aren’t being played?” Fane paced in front of the desk.

Darken lifted his right hand and turned his palm. Fane stopped in his tracks and involuntarily turned to face Darken. A chair slid forward behind Fane, banging against the back of his knees. He fell onto the seat with a loud thud. Darken stared at his lieutenant who shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. “I am not a patient man,” Darken began, “It would be rather unfortunate if I lost faith in your abilities.”

Darken motioned over his shoulder. Dennee stepped forward out of the shadows by the closed curtain covering the window behind the desk. “My Lord,” she bowed.

“Fetch Garren,” Darken waved.

The Rada’Han winked in the lamplight as she nodded. She silently glided out of the room.

____________________

Kahlan cleared the breakfast plate in front of Cara. Once in the bustle of the kitchen, she scraped up the morsels left for her. The rest she dumped into the trash then deposited the plate in the industrial sized dish washer. She fought the urge to pull at the Rada’Han around her neck. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of long blonde hair. Before she could turn her head fully to look, the door to the dining room swung closed. Kahlan walked slowly back to the dining room, still shaking the sleep from her senses. Cara met her at the door and took hold of her elbow roughly. Kahlan looked at Cara’s hand where it held her forearm. Cara’s rigid face triggered a compulsion not to ask the questions roiling in Kahlan’s mind. 

“Mistress Garren,” the voice was so soft it could barely be heard over the din of the Mord-Sith chatting with one another. 

Despite the quietness of the voice, the room fell silent. Garren stood up from the chair where she had been reclining. Kahlan looked from Cara’s worried eyes over her shoulder to the source of the voice. The hand on Kahlan’s arm kept her upright. All the air left Kahlan’s lungs in a rush. Cara took advantage of the focus on Dennee to drag Kahlan from the room. Kahlan struggled briefly against the pull back into the kitchen. Cara’s fingernails bit into Kahlan’s skin eliciting a small yelp of pain. “Pull it together, Confessor,” Cara hissed in Kahlan’s ear.

Kahlan steadied her breathing. She was suddenly glad she wore a Rada’Han. She feared the sight of her sister leashed and pregnant would have sent her into Con’Dar. Cara kept a tight hold on Kahlan’s arm as she led them to the back of the servant’s quarters. Madeline looked up at the pair from her bunk. “Mistress Cara.”

Kahlan froze midway to pushing open the door leading to the back stairwell. Cara released Kahlan’s arm before turning to glare at Madeline. “What,” she hissed.

“You are not supposed to pass through here,” Madeline got up from her bunk and stood behind the pair.

Cara chuckled. “You think because you are the Lord Rahl’s pet that you can tell a Mord-Sith where she can and cannot go?”

Madeline’s eyes narrowed to treacherous slits. Cara’s smile was all teeth. It was an expression Kahlan knew spoke of impending violence. The conversation they had the night before flashed through Kahlan’s mind. Cara was being punished by Darken which, she assumed, also implied they were being watched. Kahlan made a decision. She wrapped her arms loosely around Cara’s middle. She hooked her head into the curve of Cara’s neck. Her nose traced a path up to Cara’s ear where she whispered, “Careful.” 

Loud enough for Madeline to hear, Kahlan commented, “Does my Mistress prefer that one? Did I not please you well enough last night? I will try harder if my Mistress will give me the chance.”

Madeline grimaced and walked quickly out of the servants’ quarters with an exaggerated eye roll. Cara’s hand balled into a fist. Before reason returned, her fist made its way through a rickety old wardrobe near the door. Droplets of blood pooled on Cara’s knuckles. Kahlan sighed, “Come on, I’ll wrap your hand.”

When the door closed safely behind them, Kahlan inhaled at the same time that Cara cracked her neck. “Quite the pair aren’t we?” Kahlan asked.

Cara blew air through her nose in a small laugh, “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“Me too,” Kahlan replied and smiled over her shoulder.  
____________________

Dennee shook the sight of warm blue eyes from her mind as she followed behind Garren up the main staircase to Darken’s office. Thoughts of her sister came unbidden to her mind. Years apart and her Breaking blurred her memories into snatches of nightmares that sometimes made her heart stutter. Those blue eyes, her sister’s, always remained to draw her back to herself—or whatever yet remained of herself hidden behind layers of protections.

Garren knocked on the door, drawing Dennee back to her place. Years of habit made slipping back into her role as easy as putting on socks. Her pregnancy had started the shaking loose of cobwebs in Dennee’s mind. She felt herself moving behind Darken’s shoulder. It was like watching a movie in slow motion. Her mind raced to place those eyes that looked so stunningly like her own, like her sister. Darken’s voice cut through her thoughts, “Garren, you will assist Fane in his search for the Stone of Tears. Take with you three sisters whom you trust. Leave Cara and her Confessor.”

Garren’s laugh was deep and thick like honey, “I do not trust Cara or her now leashed Confessor.”

Darken nodded. Dennee felt her heartbeat from her temples to her ankles. _Spirits, please don’t let the Confessor be Kahlan._

____________________

“Uppity bitches,” Madeline mumbled to herself as she slipped quietly into Darken’s bedroom, “Mord-Sith aren’t so special.” 

Madeline stomped through the bedroom. She threw the curtains open with a flourish, instantly brightening the room. Madeline turned quickly half expecting a Mord-Sith to be lurking in the shadows. She lifted the bed skirt to check then jogged to the closet. After throwing open the door and mashing against the clothes hanging there, Madeline nodded to herself and continued mumbling. “They think they are the best at everything,” she grumbled to the newly fluffed pillow in her hand.

“The best at fighting,” she jerked on the sheets, “The best at sex,” she chopped into the tops of the pillows, “The best at clever comebacks,” she sat on the corner of the bed with a sigh.

An empty water glass sat on the nightstand. She picked it up then ran her finger along the rim, “And Confessors are worse.”

She opened her mouth to begin a new tirade about the many sins and shortcomings of Confessors when a dark spot under the table lamp caught her eye. Darken never opened the curtains in his room, so the electric lights would have never caught the shadow. The way the sunlight filtered in through the window hit just perfectly below the lamp to show something hidden on the nightstand under it. Madeline picked up the hefty wood lamp. It had a thick square base that sat barely a full inch off the tabletop. Just enough space to slide something underneath. The small metal bug made a crackling sound in Madeline’s fingers as she brought it close to her face. “Hello tiny bug, who is listening on the other side?”

Fear raced through her veins, “If this is the Master I am sorry for speaking harshly just now. Please don’t punish me. I’ll put it right back.”

Madeline’s hand shook as she lowered the listening device back to the table. She bit her lip. “Why would the Master bug his own room? Better safe than sorry,” Madeline tucked the bug in her apron front then hurriedly closed the curtains and left to find Darken Rahl.

____________________

Cara opened and closed her wrapped fist. She watched Kahlan busy herself around the room, picking up discarded clothing from the floor. The routine between them had become comforting. Fury rose in Cara. Such feelings were unbecoming of a Mord-Sith. Cara shot up from the armchair by the open window, disturbing the curtains in her hurry. She grabbed the mug handle from under Kahlan’s pillow. Kahlan finished folding the shirt in her hands, quite used to Cara’s little fits by now, before moving close enough to hear through the muffling spell. Kahlan looked down at Cara’s outstretched hand and raised her eyebrow at the smaller woman. “Where did you put the thumb drive?”

Kahlan dug her hand into the pocket of her skin tight pants. She pulled out the drive. Cara reached for it. Kahlan pulled her hand back, “Please be careful.”

Cara huffed but nodded. The door closed behind Cara quieter than Kahlan expected given the woman’s sour mood. _Creator, protect her._ Kahlan finished tidying the room and found herself pacing. Rather than drive herself crazy with worry, Kahlan made her way down to the servant’s quarters. Dennee was somewhere on the premises. The servant’s staircase was empty and quiet. Kahlan realized she had never ventured to the kitchen outside of meal times. She was surprised to see the servant’s quarters completely empty. It was not as if she expected the people to be lazing about between meal times but for it to be entirely abandoned was a surprise to her.

Kahlan ran her fingers over the hole Cara’s fist left in the wardrobe. “Kahlan?” a voice behind her whispered causing Kahlan to jump.

____________________

Cara knocked on Darken’s office door. The hallway was empty so odds were in her favour that he was not there. She carefully opened the door, announcing herself, “My Lord Rahl?”

Again silence greeted her. She cast a glance over her shoulder before closing the door behind her. She turned on the overhead lights by the door. The room was empty. The walls lined with bookshelves held volumes both old and new, in good shape and in bad. She had never seen the room fully illuminated. It struck her that Darken took his name rather seriously and nearly always kept himself shrouded in darkness. No doubt to hide traps, she mused to herself. A large mahogany desk stood in the center of the room. A laptop sat at the side of the table, pushed out of the way for whatever meeting he just held in the room. Cara pulled the computer in front of her as she leaned over his chair. She ran her finger over the touchpad on the keyboard. The machine whirred to life. Cara uncapped the thumb drive and put it in the nearest USB slot. Her hand rested on top of her Agiels, both in an effort to soothe her nerves and to assure her that they were there this time.

“Huh,” Cara said as the computer loaded without requiring a password.

She quickly opened the C drive to find the thumb drive. With the device doing its job, Cara slid the laptop back to its former resting place and repositioned the chair. The drive moved quickly for which Cara silently said thank you. The drive read a 90% completion within seconds. As soon as the computer pinged, Cara ripped the drive out of the port and closed the laptop. She turned the lights back off and slipped out the door. “Cara Mason, what the fuck?”

____________________

Kahlan felt her heart stutter in her chest. Kahlan turned around to the back of long blonde hair. Dennee made a visual sweep of the room before turning back to her sister. Kahlan’s throat closed as Dennee smiled at Kahlan. Before Kahlan could think better of it, she wrapped her sister in a tight hug. Tears streamed down her cheeks, “Please tell me you’re you.”

Dennee exhaled, “Barely. Are you you?”

Kahlan pulled back in her sister’s arms she searched Dennee’s face, wishing for her Confessor abilities, “Fully. I’m here to get you out.”

Dennee laughed at this. “How?” She motioned around them, “It’s not like we can just waltz out of here. Even if we weren’t leashed,” Dennee tapped at the Rada’Hans around both their necks.

“Cara Mason and I are working with the police,” Kahlan whispered as she pulled Dennee through the door into the stairwell.

“You’re working with a Mord-Sith?” incredulity colored Dennee’s words.

“She’s a good person, Dennee. I trust her,” Kahlan poured all her sincerity into the words.

Dennee squinted. “I’ve been around Mord-Sith that I can’t read for too long but, Kahlan, are you in love with her?”

“What?” Kahlan spluttered, “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”

Dennee shook her head, “Spirits help us. Do you at least have a plan?”

“Yes, well sort of. It’s an evolving plan,” Kahlan shook her head at herself, “Honestly, we didn’t think we would even get this far. We are meeting our police contacts tomorrow, provided we are allowed to leave the house.”

“That is highly unlikely. Darken really does not trust Cara right now. He suspects she is up to something,” Dennee explained, “I have to get back. He’ll be suspicious of me if I’m gone any longer.”

Kahlan put her hand on Dennee’s belly. “I’ll get you out of here, Dennee, I swear it.”

Dennee nodded and swiped a tear off her cheek. Kahlan waited in the stairwell for a few minutes before going back to the servant’s quarters. Madeline stood outside the door holding a cast iron skillet in one hand. “You should’ve left your Mord-Sith when I gave you the chance,” she laughed as she clasped a handcuff around Kahlan’s wrist. Kahlan’s other hand shot instinctively around Madeline’s throat. The woman just laughed and swung the pan. Kahlan hit the cement floor with a smack. Madeline closed the other handcuff around Kahlan’s free wrist. A male servant entered the room. He saw Madeline and turned to walk back out. “Stop,” Madeline commanded, “Help me chain her.”

_________________________

Raina planted her hands on her hips and waited for Cara to answer her. Cara’s lips thinned to a line, “What the fuck what?”

“You know what,” Raina pulled Cara to the side, “Darken will kill you if he finds out you were here.”

Cara’s eyebrows knit together, “If?”

“Yes, if,” Raina glanced over her shoulder, her corkscrew curls bobbing with the motion, “There’s talk amongst the sisters that you are planning something. Berdine and I are in if you are going to make a move against Darken.”

Cara weighed the potential that this was a trap. Raina and Berdine were the two most honest of the Mord-Sith and the least likely to start a fight. Cara sighed, she knew from the start there would come a time when she would need to trust one or more of her sisters. She had hoped it would be Dahlia. “There is going to be a raid this week. I and my Confessor are working with the police to bring down Darken.”

“And the bond?”

It was not the question Cara was prepared for, “There is another Rahl who could command us if he chose. I do not think he will pursue that power.”

Raina bit her lip in thought. “Garren is leaving with Fane and three sisters. That will only leave Dahlia who is truly loyal to Darken Rahl. Denna will run at the first opportunity.”

Cara pulled Raina in the direction of her quarters. Cautiously glad of two potential allies, she and Raina conspired together as they made their way down the stairs to Cara and Kahlan’s room. Cara stopped inside the empty room. Raina entered behind her, “Where is your Confessor?”


	21. Madeline

Kahlan first noticed a dull ache in her shoulders but the sharp pain at the back of her head drew her fully back to consciousness. It took her a full five seconds to orient herself and take in the hazel eyes staring inches away from her face. Instinctively, Kahlan pulled back, the movement caused pain to course through her head in a line from her eyeballs to where the pan left a large lump at the back of her skull. Nausea took hold of her. Madeline stepped to the side in time to miss the contents of Kahlan’s stomach. Kahlan cursed her aim with a grimace. “Hmm,” Madeline took Kahlan’s chin in her hand and lifted Kahlan’s head to look in her eyes, “You may be concussed. Oops.”

Kahlan’s head lolled forward. The pain in her neck and shoulders grew more intense with each passing breath. Her feet were shaky beneath her and she toed off her stilettos. Her bare feet touched the cold tile beneath her. Vaguely aware that she was standing in her own vomit, Kahlan’s stomach churned again. She swallowed carefully and pushed herself up to standing. Her shoulders cracked at the movement to which she rolled the joints as much as her arms that were chained over her head would allow.

Kahlan towered over Madeline now, standing at her full height. Madeline reached into her apron pocket to produce a small shiny object. Kahlan squinted, trying to force all her faculties into focus. She closed her eyes on an inhale and looked again at the object offered her. Kahlan felt her stomach fall down to her knees. “Right, so my question is, which of the two of you planted this in Lord Rahl’s room,” Madeline bared her teeth in what Kahlan assumed was meant to pass as a smile, “Then I remembered that you were only in the Lord Rahl’s room once and nowhere near his bed. So I realized it had to be the Mord-Sith.”

Madeline tilted her head to the side, watching Kahlan for any emotion. Kahlan was momentarily grateful for the hit to the head to slow her facial reactions. “Then when I saw the Lord Rahl’s Confessor leaving the staircase, I thought maybe it was her instead. There’s a light in her eyes that was not there before today.”

Kahlan licked her lips. Kahlan watched Madeline reach to a table next to where she stood and rip something off. She came and wiped a paper towel across Kahlan’s chin. “Hope is a dangerous thing, Confessor. It’s like a cancer,” Madeline tossed the paper towel in a trash can under the square wooden table. 

She picked up a small bell and rang it. Kahlan’s head reverberated with the sound. She squinted reflexively. A man appeared at Madeline’s side. The echoing ring in Kahlan’s ears prevented her from hearing the exchange but soon the man knelt at Kahlan’s feet cleaning the floor. A warm towel wrapped around Kahlan’s foot, cleaning her off. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” Madeline began again when the man disappeared back into the kitchen, “but, I suspect that you were not properly broken in the first place.”

Kahlan felt her heart thundering in her head and neck. She slowed her breathing to try and think around the adrenaline burst that raced through her body at those words. Madeline grabbed a roll of silver duct tape off her table. Kahlan slipped on the slick floor beneath her feet. A sharp pop drew a moan from her. She pushed back up on her feet. “That sounded like it hurt. Dislocated shoulders suck,” Madeline tore a line of tape from the roll and smoothed it over Kahlan’s mouth, “I’ll fix it after I tell Lord Rahl about how naughty your Mistress has been.”

____________________

“She will return soon,” Cara waved the question away despite her own swiftly growing concern.

“I will tell Berdine. We should go see that Garren and Fane are truly gone,” Raina replied.

Cara followed Raina out of her room. She craned her neck in the direction of the bathroom to listen for the staccato click of Kahlan’s heels. Darken Rahl, his lieutenant Fane, Garren, and three young blonde women Cara did not immediately recognize stood in the foyer. Cara looked for Kahlan in the direction of the kitchen. When she turned back, her eyes landed on Dennee, standing at Darken’s back. She had not noticed the woman in her first look at the room. _Am I that distracted?_ Cara shook her head. Fane, Garren, and the sisters left the house after some final words of instruction from Darken Rahl. The man turned and made eye contact with Cara. Cara bowed her head. When she lifted it, she noticed Dennee staring at her. Cara’s eyebrows scrunched. She glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed Dennee’s sudden boldness. Raina leaned into Cara’s side, “We will be in touch, Mason.”

Cara nodded. Raina returned in the direction of the library, where Cara suspected Raina would find Berdine. Cara did a quick sweep of the dining room and kitchen before returning to their bedroom. Cara kicked herself for how easy it was for her to mentally refer to things as theirs. She and Kahlan were a means to an end, nothing more. Her attempts at convincing herself fell flat even in her own mind. She rolled her eyes at herself. She opened the door of their room. Kahlan still had not returned. She sat down at the edge of the bed and chewed on her lip. “Where are you, Confessor?”

____________________

Darken Rahl sat down at his desk and pulled his computer in front of him. Dennee watched silently from her place in the corner near the curtains. Her back ached badly. Her belly was large enough that standing for long periods of time had begun causing her a great deal of pain. She leaned carefully against the wall and a bookcase. Every part of her body hurt. Her brain hurt most of all. It really was Kahlan. Her sister claimed to have a plan and be working with a Mord-Sith. That alone made Dennee want to scream. Her older sister was supposed to be smarter than her. Dennee could not imagine a situation worse than the one they currently found themselves in. She was deep in thought when a knock at the door startled her to action. “I’m sorry my Lord,” she apologized as she waddled away from the wall.

Standing on the other side was Madeline. The woman made Dennee’s skin crawl. There was a crazed look in her eyes that went beyond what Dennee normally observed in the woman. She stepped to the side, allowing Madeline to pass. Madeline glared angrily at Dennee as she shoved her way past the woman. Dennee closed the door and returned to stand at Darken Rahl’s right shoulder. Her hands clasped as she cradled her belly, she listened to Madeline.

“My Lord Rahl,” Madeline bowed.

Darken waved his hand dismissively, “What is it?”

“Master, when I was cleaning your bedroom this morning, I found something that I think would interest you,” Madeline reached into her apron pocket.

Dennee watched her produce a small square metal item. It clinked softly against the table. Darken picked up the object and dropped it immediately into a glass of water. “When did you find this? And what did you say while you were carrying it around?”

Madeline shrank at this, “Just this morning and nothing of much consequence.”

Darken stood abruptly. He walked around his desk to where Madeline stood. She swallowed. Dennee watched as quiet as a church mouse as he grabbed a fistful of Madeline’s hair and twisted her neck back to look up at him, “I need to know exactly what you said.”

Madeline tiptoed to decrease the angle her neck was jerked, “I—I just said ‘who’s been listening.’ Then I apologized if it was you who put it there. Then I found the other Confessor being sneaky and I chained her up—“

Darken released Madeline. Dennee returned her gaze to the floor. Darken ran his hand over her protruding belly as he passed. He pulled open his computer and ran a program that revealed a photo of Cara looking over the top of the camera’s lens. Darken closed his eyes and sighed. He reached to his landline phone. He dialed a number, “Bring me Cara Mason,” he said into the receiver.

Darken turned a fond smile to Madeline, “You’ve done well, Madeline. You deserve to see the fruits of your labor.”

Relief flooded Madeline’s face. She raced to stand next to the desk on the left side. Dennee’s mind raced in a thousand directions at once. If she could confess Darken Rahl and disable Madeline she had a chance of getting to her sister before the Mord-Sith had a chance to react. She could use Darken to control the Mord-Sith, she hoped. She just needed to get the damned Rada’Han off her neck then she had options.

She was five minutes into her third disaster scenario when the door to the library opened. Cara was flanked between two Mord-Sith. Three D’Haran soldiers wielding semi-automatic weapons followed behind them. Dahlia and Denna stood on either side of Cara who—Creator bless her—looked as defiant as ever. “My Lord Rahl,” Cara bowed her head then clasped her hands loosely behind her back.

Darken Rahl turned his computer screen to face Cara. She stared at her photo on the screen before turning bored eyes up to Darken’s face. He then pushed forward the glass of water holding the listening device. Cara looked down. Dennee watched Cara swallow. Her head bowed suddenly and she was on her knees. The effort it looked like it took to raise her head, made Dennee glance at Darken. Sweat beaded on his head. Dahlia and Denna went to their knees beside Cara. A growl rumbled in Cara’s chest as Denna pulled Cara’s Agiels from her holster. “F-fuck you,” Cara spat from her place on the floor.

“You’re lucky you’re useful, Cara Mason,” Darken stood, “Had this been either of the two women around you, I would simply have them Confessed. But you,” he tilted her chin up between his thick fingers, “You, I will gladly break again and again.”

With a wave of his hand, a D’Haran rammed the butt of his gun into Cara’s temple. The man then picked up Cara’s body. Darken turned to Dennee and motioned for her to turn around. He unhooked the Rada’Han as he spoke, “Confess the other Confessor.”

Dennee felt her power come back in a rush, “Yes, my Lord Rahl.”


	22. The Amnell Sisters

Madeline closed the door once everyone filed out of the office. She smiled contentedly to herself. Dennee waited for Madeline to lock the office door behind them. She followed the woman to the servant’s staircase. Dennee kept her head down as she passed by Madeline to enter the stairwell. Without looking at her, Dennee’s hand shot out around the woman’s neck. Dennee looked over her shoulder at Madeline as black clouded over her eyes. The woman went pliant in her hand. “Command me, Confessor,” Madeline smiled.

“Where did Darken take the Mord-Sith, Cara?” Dennee demanded.

“To the breaking chambers in the basement,” Madeline replied, stroking her hand down Dennee’s long blonde hair.

“You will release the other Confessor, Kahlan, and do anything she says as if it were me giving you the orders,” Dennee batted the woman’s hand away already turning back in the direction Darken took Cara.

“Yes, Mistress,” Madeline cooed.

Madeline made her way down the stairwell back to the servant’s quarters. Kahlan glared at the woman as she approached and carefully removed the tape from Kahlan’s mouth. She pulled a key from her apron and began unlocking the cuffs around Kahlan’s wrists and ankles. When she finished, she returned the key to her pocket. “What is your command?”

Kahlan cradled her dislocated arm, “Pop my shoulder back in.”

With her other hand, she dug in her pants pocket. She let out a yelp as her shoulder slotted back into place. Kahlan quickly twisted the Rada’Han around and unlocked the ring. The welcome hum grew in her center, spreading out to her fingertips now laced around Madeline’s throat. “You’re already Confessed,” Kahlan said and released Madeline. “Where did Dennee go?”

Madeline shifted, “She went after the Lord Rahl and the Mord-Sith.”

“Spirits,” Kahlan gasped, “Where?”

“The breaking chamber in the basement.”

“Fuck,” Kahlan looked around her for ideas, “Come with me,” she said.

Madeline followed her to the dining room. She ran her fingers along the underside of the table until she found the other listening device. “Richard, Zedd, if you’re listening, we need the cavalry. Dennee and Cara are in trouble.”

Kahlan tossed the bug on the table, “Are there phones here?”

Madeline nodded. Kahlan continued, “Good, call 911. Tell them the address and that Cara and Kahlan are compromised then go wait outside for the police. Lead them to the breaking chamber when they get here. Don’t speak to anyone but the police when they arrive. Your Mistress’ life depends on that.”

Madeline left immediately for the landline in the pantry. Kahlan bolted for the spiral staircase in the foyer. She took the stairs two at a time and ran all the way to her and Cara’s room. She ripped her escrima sticks from her duffle bag and took off again. _Please, Creator, keep them safe._

____________________

Cara jolted awake from a bucket of ice water thrown at her face. The room was brightly lit and it hurt her eyes. Darken and Dahlia stood in front of her. Denna sat the empty bucket next to Cara’s Agiels. Cara’s eyes narrowed at Darken who calmly rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white button up. Cara wrapped her hands around the chains holding her aloft to gain what little control was available to her. She watched Denna watch her grab onto the chain. Dahlia, thankfully, Cara noted, was too busy attending to Darken. Denna pushed Cara’s Agiels closer to the edge of the table with a small nod. _Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth_ , Cara thought of her extremely unlikely ally.

Cara set her jaw. Darken unzipped her leather jacket and pushed it open. Cara stared blankly over his head. His punch to her abdomen sent her breath out in a rush. As her body swung backward from the blow, she kicked backward and swung her leg with all her strength. The blow connected with his nose in a deeply satisfying crunch.

Blood trickled down his chin and onto his shirt. Dahlia’s Agiel screamed against Cara’s side, sending angry crimson spider webs across her pale skin. Cara wrenched her eyes closed, trying not to scream. Denna cracked Darken’s nose back into place then dabbed at the blood in his facial hair. Darken swatted her away. Dahlia pulled away just as bolts of lightning from Darken’s hands singed Cara’s flesh, drawing a scream from her. Her body hung limp. “Revive her,” he commanded Denna.

____________________

Kahlan raced back downstairs. At the bottom, she ran headlong into a servant. Without a moment hesitation, she grasped his neck and poured her power into the action. “Comma—,” he started.

“Where is the entrance to the breaking chambers?” Kahlan interrupted.

“I don’t know, Mistress,” he replied, “Forgive me.”

Kahlan growled, “Go wait with Madeline for the police to get here then follow their directions.”

Behind her, Berdine cleared her throat. The tall woman stared down at Kahlan with her hands raised, “Raina told me about the plan. Guess that went to shit.”

“Tell me how to get to the breaking chambers, Berdine, please,” Kahlan was not above begging any ally she could find and certainly not above Confessing anyone who got in her way, she prayed to the Creator that Berdine would prove to be one of the former.

“That way,” Berdine pointed to Kahlan’s right, “There’s a door in the room at the end of the hallway. Cara’s deal was that Raina and I get out before the cops come.”

Kahlan was already in a dead run, “Then get out!” she shouted over her shoulder.

The room was exactly where Berdine said it would be, for which Kahlan gave thanks. The door was open as was the door inside the room that led downstairs. Distantly, Kahlan heard screams. She checked her adrenaline fueled desire to race headfirst into whatever was happening. After a deep, steadying breath, Kahlan took to the stairs that led to the basement. At the base, two D’Haran soldiers lay dead from what looked like self-inflicted headshots. “Creator, Dennee.”

Kahlan stepped over the bodies into a concrete room. A light flickered on a chain above her head. The door in front of her was slightly ajar. She opened it a little further with the tip of an escrima stick. The other stick she held aloft over her left shoulder. Two more D’Harans with holes in their heads lay on the ground. At the end of the hall, Kahlan caught sight of streaming blonde hair turn a corner. Kahlan took off at a run again on the balls of her bare feet.

Kahlan paused to catch her breath and assess. She pressed her back against the concrete and glanced around the corner for a hiding place. Kahlan ducked into an open room as Dennee waited in front of a door at the far end of the hallway. She could barely make out the exchange but heard the door click closed behind Dennee and to whomever she spoke. Kahlan trusted her sister. She must have some kind of plan. Kahlan tiptoed down the hallway. Screams came from the room her sister just entered. Kahlan burst through the unlocked door to trip over two dead Mord-Sith. “Dennee,” Kahlan whispered sharply.

Dennee stopped and turned toward her name. Relief flooded her features. Kahlan ran to wrap Dennee into a careful hug around Dennee’s belly. When she pulled back, Kahlan saw the steel in her sister’s eyes. “The police are on their way, Dennee. You need to get control of your emotions. You can’t go into the Con’Dar. You’ll kill Cara.”

“You don’t even know her, Kahlan. You’ve no idea the kinds of things she’s done. She’s just as cruel and evil as the rest of the Mord-Sith—as Darken,” Dennee shoved Kahlan back.

Kahlan shook her head, “ _You_ don’t know her, Dennee. She’s done awful things, I’m sure, but she’s not a bad person. Please just think. Don’t let your hate for Darken overrule your compassion.”

“Of the two of us, you always were the kind one,” Dennee ran her hand over her belly, “I don’t want to be like our father. I don’t want my child growing up that way.”

Dennee sighed and surveyed the mostly empty room. “These rooms are soundproofed. So, with luck, they haven’t heard my path of destruction. Darken commanded me to confess you. I can get us in the room, but he will have protection with him. At least two Mord-Sith, not counting your Cara, and three D’Harans. I can take care of the Mord-Sith if you can disable the D’Haran soldiers. Darken is mine, Kahlan. I will have my pound of flesh.”

“Okay, I’m with you, Dennee,” Kahlan squeezed Dennee’s hand.  
____________________

Cara grappled for the chain above her head again. Her breath came in quick shallow bursts. Denna stepped down off the stool. The knock at the door startled Denna. Cara’s head lolled heavily toward the sound. Darken nodded for a tall man to open the door. Over his shoulder, the man shouted back, “It’s your Confessors.”

Darken motioned for entry. Dennee stepped in with her head bowed. “My Lord, I have done as you commanded.”

Kahlan trailed in behind Dennee. “No,” Cara breathed.

Kahlan fought every inclination to look at Cara. The ruse had to work long enough for them to disable everyone in the room. Kahlan knew risking a glance at Cara would jeopardize the whole plan. The sharp coppery smell of blood and the rasping hiss of what she knew was Cara’s breathing threatened her hold on her power. Kahlan willed herself calm. “Well done,” Kahlan heard Darken say, “have her disarm.”

“Put your weapons on the table,” Dennee said.

Kahlan laid her sticks next to a pair of Agiels she knew had to be Cara’s. “Tell her to look at her former Mistress,” Darken barked.

“Look at Cara, Kahlan,” Dennee replied.

Kahlan’s eyes trailed slowly up the path of dried blood running along Cara’s leather clad leg. She swallowed. Cara’s abdomen was covered in angry red welts and burns. Kahlan’s jaw worked. She could not look at Cara’s face. She felt her power bubbling beneath her skin. The rage threatened to choke her. Kahlan’s hand flew to the neck of the D’Haran to her left. She poured every ounce of her magic through her arm. The man only flinched in response, “Kill Darken Rahl,” she growled.

The man turned his gun in Darken’s direction and unleashed a spray of bullets. Darken threw out his magic to stop the bullets. He turned when the man’s clip was empty. Dennee stood in his path. She did not see the knife in his hand as she closed the distance between them. Her hand flexed at the squishing sound the blade made as it pierced just under her sternum.

“Dennee!” Kahlan screamed.

Black overtook her vision. She lurched forward. She felt the power leave her body in a rush and then almost instantly be silenced. The Rada’Han clicked shut around her throat. The two D’Harans released Kahlan, “Command me, Confessor,” they said in unison.


	23. Cara

Cara’s expression was equal parts fear, anger, and pain. She flinched when Kahlan turned toward her expecting her eyes to still be black. Cara relaxed minutely at the terrified clear blue in Kahlan’s eyes. Kahlan clawed uselessly at the Rada’Han. “Go find the police. Get an ambulance,” she said to the D’Haran on her left, “You get Cara down from there,” she said to the one on her right, “then go find Darken.”

In front of Kahlan, Dennee’s chest rose and fell raggedly. She tripped in her rush to her sister’s side, sliding roughly on the concrete. The knees of her pants tore. Kahlan repeated her sister’s name over and over in prayer. She ripped the thin white shirt away from the wound. Blood covered her hands. Tears glittered in Kahlan’s eyes, “I just got you back,” she swiped Dennee’s hair off her face.

A trail of blood from Kahlan’s hands smeared across Dennee’s forehead. Dennee reached out for Kahlan. Kahlan held Dennee’s hand and covered the slice in her abdomen with the other. “Just hold on,” Kahlan smiled, “An ambulance will be here soon.”

Dennee’s eyes closed. Kahlan watched Dennee’s chest for movement. The thin white cotton shirt framed her belly. Kahlan only just noticed that Dennee wore black stretchy maternity pants. Her sister looked like she was lounging around the house, not captive to a madman. A hand on Kahlan’s foot startled Kahlan so badly she jumped from her spot, scraping her already bleeding knees even further. “Kahlan,” Cara shouted.

Kahlan looked back at the woman propped up behind her on one arm. “Focus, Kahlan,” Cara sounded odd.

Kahlan wondered why Cara was shouting at her. She watched the woman’s lips move unable to process. “Breath of Life, Kahlan, help me,” Cara repeated.

“Spirits, Cara!” Kahlan jolted.

She grabbed Cara by the armpits and dragged her next to Dennee’s body. Cara positioned herself over Dennee and breathed into her open mouth. When Dennee gasped, Cara fell over onto her back. Kahlan scrambled up next to Dennee. She wiped her hand over the pool of blood on Dennee’s abdomen to find the cut healed.

Behind them, the door burst open. Madeline ran in first and collapsed at Dennee’s side, “Mistress! Someone help her!”

Kahlan turned to the police filing in the room. At the sight of him, Kahlan shouted, “Zedd!”

His gaze fell on the four women on the floor just as Richard cleared the door. “Darken and two Mord-Sith went that way,” Kahlan pointed toward an open door at the other end of the room, “I sent a soldier after them.”

Richard corralled the officers into a search party, sending some back upstairs to search the rest of the house and some down the corridor, then radioed for more outside to sweep the property. Madeline propped Dennee up and positioned herself behind Dennee to use as a support. Kahlan glanced down at Dennee’s belly. “The baby. We need…”

Zedd was already heading toward them. He bent over Dennee’s stomach and placed his ear against her belly. He sat up smiling, “The baby is fine but you should still go get checked out at the hospital,” he nodded up at Richard.

“Got it,” Richard spoke into his walkie-talkie ordering two stretchers and left. Two stretchers, “Cara,” Kahlan spun around to the Mord-Sith lying next to her sister.

Kahlan ran her fingers over the burnt skin on Cara’s stomach. Cara hissed and leveled a glare at Kahlan. “Sorry,” Kahlan jerked her hand back involuntarily.

Cara licked her lips and closed her eyes, Kahlan took the moment to survey the damage done to Cara’s body. The burns on her chest covered most of her bared skin. The bamboo wrap around her chest was singed and frayed along the bottom. It seemed an act of Cara level defiance that the cloth still covered her chest at all. Kahlan suddenly felt the urge to cover Cara. 

“Where are the stretchers?” Kahlan’s voice came out in a strangled croak.

Cara opened one eye and raised her eyebrows. “Your eyes are leaking on my face, Confessor.”

A laugh welled up in Kahlan’s belly and fell out as she wiped her cheeks. Cara grimaced, “Now there’s blood on your face.”

Kahlan reached down to touch Cara’s face. Cara moved her head to the side, “Don’t you dare.”

They smiled at one another. It was not until Zedd cleared his throat that Kahlan looked away. He nodded toward the door where four EMTs just entered. Kahlan squeezed Cara’s arm before accepting Zedd’s hand to help her up. “I can walk unassisted,” Dennee protested.

The medics reluctantly agreed and two followed Dennee out of the room. Madeline trailed behind like a lost puppy. Kahlan groaned, “We are going to have to deal with all these confessed.”

Zedd nodded solemnly. He glanced down to where Cara laid near them. “Kahlan, you need to get checked out too,” he pointed to her legs.

The tears in the knees of the pants showed deep scrapes that oozed blood. “I’m fine,” Kahlan waved away the concern.

“Kahlan,” Zedd chastised, “Your body is still pumping adrenaline, it’s going to hurt badly very soon. Better to get yourself cleaned and patched before the pain catches up.”

Kahlan watched Cara resist being loaded onto a gurney. “I am fine, the wizard can heal me. I don’t need a hospital,” she railed.

“I’ll go with Cara to keep her calm and let them clean my wounds,” Kahlan patted Zedd’s arm in thanks.

Zedd looked around the now empty room and sighed. “This is going to be a nightmare to write up,” he said to Richard as the man re-entered the room.

“Yeah,” Richard rubbed the short hairs on the back of his neck, “Cara stopped me and told me where she put the thumb drive.”

Zedd’s eyes stilled their assessment of the room as they fell on the table by the door. Cara’s Agiels sat next to Kahlan’s escrima sticks. “They are both impressive women,” Zedd mused, “We better make sure not to leave these,” he nodded at the weapons on the table.

____________________

Cara woke to the sounds of muffled speaking. She glanced around the hotel room she was currently sharing with Kahlan and Dennee. It had been a point of contention between them. In the hospital, Kahlan argued vehemently that with Darken Rahl’s whereabouts still unknown she was not willing to leave Dennee or Cara anywhere she was not. This—much to Cara’s chagrin—meant that the three of them were sharing a very small space. Cara insisted that the sisters take the two beds and she would sleep on the roll out cot. Kahlan insisted that, as the least injured, she would be taking the cot. Said cot now sat in between the two double beds.

Cara trusted Dennee about as far as she could throw her and Dennee returned the sentiments just as passionately. Both, at least, could understand the other’s distrust and made small efforts not to tax Kahlan’s patience too much with jibes at one another. Cara let her eyes focus slowly on the TV in front of her. Soap operas were not her favorite form of entertainment. She would never admit it to anyone but she did not hate one soap opera Dennee insisted on watching. Did she criticize it at every single turn? Yes. Did she do it almost exclusively to annoy Dennee? Hell yes. And so Cara opened her mouth. Dennee held up her finger, “Yes. I know and agree that he is a trash human and she would be better off with a literal trash can.”

Cara closed her mouth with a smirk. She had the distinct feeling that she was beginning to grow on the younger Amnell sister. Cara stretched with a groan. The scabs on her belly pulled with the arch in her back. She hissed and raised her shirt. Small pink blotches dotted the white bandages covering most of her stomach. “Stop whatever made that happen,” Kahlan motioned at the spots Cara examined.

Richard’s face reddened at the sight of Cara in her underwear with her shirt hiked up just under her breasts. “And pull your shirt down,” Kahlan added.

Cara wiggled the shirt back over her bottom before awkwardly pushing herself up off the bed. “It isn’t my fault you didn’t wake me before company arrived,” Cara quipped.

The bathroom door closed behind them. Kahlan listened to the shower turn on with a faint smile on her lips. Next to her, Richard cleared his throat, “I’ll let you know as soon as we find anything.”

“Thanks, Richard,” Kahlan replied.

She locked the door behind him before collapsing on the bed next to Dennee. Dennee turned her head to her sister, “Not that I’m terribly mobile,” she rubbed her rapidly expanding belly, “But I’m starting to get more than a little stir crazy. I wouldn’t put it past your Mord-Sith to sneak out at the first opportunity and I’m tempted to go with her.”

Kahlan rubbed her eyes underneath her glasses. The frames bobbed with the action. “It’s been three days and you two have driven me to the edge of my patience at least five times. I don’t want to be cooped up here either. I’ve a home I’d much rather we stay at than this damn hotel. But thanks to Darken fucking Rahl we have to stay here.”

Cara listened by the door. A feeling welled up inside her that she did not have a name for. It made her oddly warm. She scowled at herself in the mirror and sighed. Dennee was lucky that her killing wound was the only one she suffered. When Cara gave her the Breath of Life, the cut on her abdomen closed immediately leaving little more than a scar under her right breast. Cara’s body, on the other hand, was taking significantly longer to heal externally. The lightning caused her heart to stop and as such the Breath of Life repaired her heart but not the burns on her body from lightning or Dahlia’s Agiel. “Dahlia,” Cara whispered.

The bathroom door burst open revealing an entirely nude Cara. Dennee rolled her eyes and glared, Kahlan flushed bright red from the tips of her ears to her throat. “Call Richard. Get him back here. I know where Dahlia and Darken are hiding.”


	24. Cara

“Okay, here’s the plan: initial recon has Darken, twenty D’Haran soldiers, and five Mord-Sith holed up here,” Richard explained.

Cara bounced on the balls of her feet, gloved hands twisting over the ends of her holstered Agiels. Behind her, Kahlan sulked.

_Earlier_  
“You’re not going, Cara,” Kahlan stated.

“And you are not my mother, Confessor. You can’t keep me from this. If I say I am fit enough to fight, then I am fit,” Cara barked back.

Kahlan raised an exasperated hand in the direction of Zedd and Richard who simultaneously raised both theirs in refusal to get involved. Kahlan growled her frustration. Cara sighed. She hated these types of situations. “Give us a minute,” Cara said to Richard and Zedd who happily went to wait in the hallway.

Kahlan sat at the edge of the bed, wringing her hands. Cara reached in front of her and stilled Kahlan’s hands on her lap. “Look at me, Kahlan,” Cara’s voice held no room for argument but did not hold its normal acerbic tone.

Kahlan tilted her chin up before opening her eyes. When she opened them, a tear slipped down her cheek. “I know you are worried about Dennee traveling to Aydindril. This isn’t about me. It’s the last bit of control you feel like you can exert. I get it.”

Kahlan opened her mouth to protest. She closed it almost immediately. Cara was right. She was terrified about her sister and whether the police could protect her, whether the Aydindril cloister could protect her. Her worry filtered toward rage and she took it out on the nearest and safest person she could. Kahlan’s eyebrows crinkled. She wondered to herself at what point she considered Cara to be the safest place to direct her anger. Her sister’s voice echoed in her mind, “You love her, Kahlan. It is the single stupidest thing I ever thought I would say in my life, but you love her. Don’t let that love get you killed.”

Kahlan spluttered in response but Dennee just wrapped Kahlan in a tight hug and told her to be careful then disappeared into the black van transporting her to the cloister. Those words jangled around in Kahlan’s head as she stared into the pale green of Cara’s eyes. “I—,” Kahlan started then rolled her eyes at herself.

She looked down at Cara’s hand still covering hers on her lap. She sighed, “Will you sit down, please?” Kahlan scooted over to make room on the bed.

Cara nodded and released her hold on Kahlan’s fists. Cara watched their reflection in the dark TV screen in front of them. She watched Kahlan study her profile. The scrutiny made Cara uneasy; made her want to lash out. Her hand drifted to her holster and skated across an Agiel. Kahlan reached out to stop the motion. “Cara, you don’t have to numb yourself for this,” Kahlan tried.

Cara shook Kahlan’s hand off hers. “Do not analyze me, Kahlan,” Cara warned.

“I’m no—okay that’s fair. I’m sorry,” Kahlan admitted, “I just, Cara, I don’t want to see you get hurt again. Seeing you hanging, I nearly,” Kahlan ran her hands down her cheeks.

“Confessed the whole room?” Cara laughed.

Kahlan turned back to Cara’s laughing profile. Kahlan’s jaw clenched, “Is it funny?”

Cara turned mirthful eyes at Kahlan, “Yes, Confessor, the idea that you could go into the Con’Dar over a Mord-Sith is hilarious.”

Kahlan stood and swung at Cara before she fully processed what she was doing. She wanted Cara to shut up, to stop putting herself down at every turn, to stop acting like she was a monster. Cara launched onto her feet. Her fist clenched into the neck of Kahlan’s t-shirt as she plowed them into the wall next to the television. “What are you doing?” Cara asked.

Kahlan’s chest heaved. She grabbed hold of Cara’s wrist and turned her body into Cara’s elbow throwing her off center. Kahlan reversed their position and crossed Cara’s arms before pinning them over her chest. Cara struggled against the hold. Kahlan’s feet were firmly planted. Cara inhaled slowly, “Think very carefully about your next move.”

Cara cursed the searing tug low in her stomach. She had no idea what Kahlan would possibly do next, but her body reacted in a way that let her know precisely what she hoped it would be. Cara watched Kahlan look back and forth between her eyes and lips. Kahlan was pressed completely against Cara’s front. She released Cara’s arms. Kahlan’s fingers tentatively touched Cara’s cheeks as if any sudden movements would disrupt the calm in the center of this storm. Cara held her breath. She could feel Kahlan’s soft exhales against her lips. “I need to know you’re okay with this, Cara,” Kahlan breathed near enough that Cara could feel her lips moving.

Cara’s hands wrapped around Kahlan’s back. She leaned forward. Kahlan’s eyes closed, Cara watched the fluttering movement beneath her eyelids. “Yes.”

Kahlan’s lips felt like silk against Cara’s. Kahlan cradled Cara’s face with such reverence Cara felt her skin crawl. It was a gentleness that caused a fight response to surge in Cara. She was Mord-Sith. She did not do soft things. So, Cara did what she knew. She shifted their position and pressed her thigh between Kahlan’s legs, pinning Kahlan’s hips against her leg. Kahlan gasped eliciting a smirk from Cara. Cara trailed kisses down Kahlan’s throat. Kahlan’s fingers fumbled to take hold of Cara’s arms. She felt too much. She had to move. “Stop, Cara,” Kahlan finally managed as Cara bit down on the base of her neck.

Cara released Kahlan’s skin with a pop and leaned back. That was when she felt the static of magic pooling around Kahlan. “Fuck,” Cara shoved Kahlan against the wall in her haste to back away, “No.”

“I’m sorry,” Kahlan wrapped her arms around herself, “I’m so sorry, Cara.”

“Just,” Cara sighed, “No.”

The door closed softly behind Cara leaving Kahlan staring at the ceiling flooded with an emotion she struggled to name. It was not disappointment or shame, really, but it felt close to both. 

____________________

“Zedd and his team will deal with any magical traps Darken may have put up. My team and I will take out the D’Harans. Cara, you and Kahlan can deal with the Mord-Sith right?”

Kahlan nodded distractedly. Cara replied, “It’s probably Dahlia, Denna, Garren, and the two younger girls she took with her and Fane—I don’t know their names—they were newer. That also means that Fane is probably coordinating the D’Harans. They will be prepared, Richard. They’ve had a week to get ready for us. Dahlia will know I’ve figured out where they are.”

“What is this place?” Officer Chase Brandstone asked.

Cara sighed, she had purposely avoided that topic. “This is where Dahlia and I were broken when we were children.”

Cara glanced over her shoulder at Kahlan. Her jaw flexed as her teeth ground together but otherwise she did not give anything away. “Ah,” Chase replied and squeezed Cara’s shoulder in support.

His hand was gone before Cara could shrug it off and when she looked around at the faces in the group she did not see the pity she expected. _Thank the Creator for that_. “Denna at least made the pretense like she was going to help me escape the last time I saw her. I think Darken’s new power has her,” Cara paused, feeling a strange urge not to insult Denna for once, “Concerned. I think she will either abandon the fight all together or assist us in hopes of securing freedom.”

“Ah!” Zedd exclaimed, “You made it.”

The assembled team turned to look at the source of Zedd’s announcement. Kahlan’s eyebrows pinched, “Verna?”

Verna smiled, “Hello Kahlan.”

Kahlan turned back to Zedd who clapped Kahlan on the shoulder, “Verna is a Sister of the Light. We thought it might be helpful to have a Sister around in case Darken had managed to gather any Sisters of the Dark.”

Kahlan turned back to Verna who was dressed in a flowing pale orange robe. “I had no idea.”

“We both had our secrets it seems,” Verna wrapped Kahlan in a tight hug.

The two parted in smiles. Zedd continued, “Ms. Sauventreen will be with my team. The plan is for us to negate Darken’s magic with a Dacra.”

“Darken Rahl will not attack to wound, he will go for the kill at every opportunity. You need to be prepared for the fact that capture may not be an option,” Cara added wearily.

“We are prepared for every eventuality, Cara, I promise,” Richard said.

The determined crease in his brow and clenched jaw let Cara know that he was referring to if Darken took Cara out of play. She nodded. The boyish charm Richard usually exhibited was noticeably absent. It gave Cara a new affection for him. “All right everybody, get in position,” Richard directed.

He and his team of ten officers in full SWAT gear headed down a hallway at the left of the former lobby. Zedd, Verna and three snipers made for the stairwell in the opposite direction. Chase, Cara, and Kahlan waited for Chase to get the all clear to proceed to their location. Cara found herself reluctantly impressed with the level of organization to the operation. They seemed to have things relatively well planned out. Cara knew that the best laid plans often led to ruin. She could only hope that such would not be the case here. She looked back at Kahlan who stretched out. The determination written on her features gave Cara pause. She worried Kahlan would make irrational decisions because of what happened between them earlier. 

Cara focused on the electrical currents running up her forearms through her gloves. After this was over she would talk to Kahlan. Explain things. They just both needed to focus on the here and now. Cara might not even survive. She bit the inside of her cheek at that thought. Kahlan paused to watch Cara stare intently at the ground. “Team one in position,” Richard’s voice cut through on the walkie-talkie, “Ten D’Harans disabled en route.”

“Copy,” Chase responded and motioned over his shoulder for Cara and Kahlan to join him.

It was only a minute before Zedd checked in, but it was the longest minute in Cara’s life. “Team two in place, snipers in position. Darken, the Mord-Sith and two Sisters of the Dark are visible in the room below,” Zedd whispered, “Five D’Harans taken out on our way up. Still five unaccounted for. Likely patrolling the exterior.”

“Copy that,” another voice said over the walkie talkie, “Three disabled outside. Only two unaccounted for.”

“Roger,” Richard responded, “Chase, prepare to breach.”

“Moving into position,” Chase replied.

Cara followed close behind Chase with Kahlan positioned at the rear. They made their way to the heavy metal door at the back of the lobby. Chase opened the door with his gun drawn. He checked around the hallway before motioning over his shoulder to signal the women to follow. Cara scanned for movement in the glass doors of the offices that lined their path. She felt Kahlan following closely and knew she kept watch on their rear. Chase held up his hand over his shoulder when they reached the door at the end of the hallway. Chase clicked the button on the walkie-talkie attached to his shoulder. “Team three in position.”

“Copy,” Richard replied, followed immediately by Zedd.

On the other side of the door, Cara heard shuffling as Richard’s team entered the room. “LAPD! Everybody, drop your weapons and get on the the ground.”

Gunshots rang out in reply. Chase kicked open the door. He sprinted away from the entry and quickly knelt onto the ground to stabilize his shot at a Sister of the Dark who hurled a ball of fire at the other officers. “The Sisters need to be taken out,” Zedd shouted on the walkies, “The snipers’ bullets are just bouncing off a magical barrier.”

Chase moved to respond. The Sister of the Dark turned her attention to their group in that exact moment. A dacra whirled through the air, spinning almost in slow motion to Cara’s senses. She jumped between Chase and the object. Her hands flew in front of her, freezing the weapon in midair. Cara pushed with her Subtractive magic and sent the steel flying back at the Sister. The woman dodged. Chase recovered and joined Richard’s team near the left doorway behind a makeshift barricade of upturned office desks.

Cara stalked toward the Sister of the Dark. The woman flung fire at Cara which blinked out in front of Cara’s raised hands. In front of her, Cara felt the barrier wavering like a waterfall. She wiggled the fingers of one hand in the energy. The other deflected another fireball. She inclined her head in what she hoped was Zedd’s position with a small nod. She deflected one more fireball before shoving with all her own magic into the barrier. The energy dissipated like water turning to mist in her hands. A shot zinged past her ear. Instinctively, Cara ducked, as the Sister of the Dark fell to the ground in front of her. Cara made a mental note to thank whoever was responsible for that. Her gratitude turned swiftly to focus as the two younger Mord-Sith peeled from Darken’s side to attack Cara.

Kahlan batted away the Agiel that Garren wielded like a battering ram. Kahlan’s mind drifted back to thoughts she had while in Darken’s compound as to whether the Mord-Sith would all fight similarly. She batted the Agiel away again and sidestepped Garren. It was easy to use the woman’s momentum against her. Kahlan shook herself to focus on the fight in front of her. Garren stabbed at Kahlan again. Kahlan swung down with her escrima stick. The bones in Garren’s wrist popped as they shattered. Her Agiel fell from her hand. Garren swung her other arm wildly, landing a lucky backhand on Kahlan’s cheek. Garren cradled her injured arm against her chest as she punched with all the focus and strength available to her. Kahlan took two blows to the stomach in the shock from the slap. When she recovered, breath, ragged, she dodged out of the way and clocked Garren on the back of the head with her stick.

The woman slid down the wall behind them to the ground, unconscious. Kahlan inhaled slowly and looked around the room. Cara was all the way across the huge room fighting two Mord-Sith with, what looked like Denna, fighting next to her. She quickly scanned the room. The other shock of long blonde hair was absent, “Shit.”

The shock from the Agiel against her side froze Kahlan. Her teeth gritted in the effort to stay conscious. Kahlan swung blindly in the direction of the pain. Her muscles spasmed and the escrima sticks fell from her hands. Kahlan felt like the fine hairs on her arms were burning from the roots out. Spots flashed in her vision. A scream tore from her throat just before everything went black.

Cara’s Agiel landed solidly against the temple of the woman she was fighting. Cara’s head turned toward the scream. “Dahlia, No!”

Cara ran. Her thick heeled boots clacked against the concrete floor. Dahlia’s wicked smile as she turned to face Cara. The look of victory. The swell of fear in Cara’s chest. _Fear is weakness._ Cara swung on Dahlia. She repeated the phrase like a prayer to the Creator that Kahlan was not dead. _Fear is weakness,_ her Agiel cracked against Dahlia’s kneecap. The rage in Dahlia’s face. _Fear is weakness,_ Cara’s clenched fist connected with Dahlia’s cheek sending the woman crashing in a heap. _Fear is weakness,_ Cara ripped the glove off her right hand with her teeth. She checked for a pulse in Kahlan’s neck. Her body deflated like a balloon in relief at the insistent thumping against her fingers.

She looked up at the room in front of her. Cara hooked her arms underneath Kahlan’s armpits and dragged her behind a desk, flung by magic, across the room. Darken stood in the middle of a hailstorm of bullets with a tall brunette Sister of the Dark at his back. She looked to the officers quickly running low on ammunition behind their barricade. They needed to end this sooner rather than later. The police were still shooting to disable. Part of Cara was grateful that they were not shooting to kill but this was Darken Rahl. Shooting to cause injury would not be enough.

Cara looked once more down at Kahlan. She adjusted her into the recovery position. From her location she could see Darken speaking to the Sister of the Dark behind him. She would need to be disabled first. Cara wished she had a way of communicating with Zedd and the Sister of the Light. She said a silent prayer that he would come to the same conclusion as Cara when she made her move. Cara bolted out of cover. She skidded to a halt behind a concrete column. The gunfire, Cara finally noticed, had stopped. She briefly debated getting Richard’s attention to coordinate an attack. The element of surprise was far more advantageous than risking Darken trying to take control of her. Cara squared her shoulders and glanced around the column. 

Cara watched Darken pound his clenched fists above him. She followed the direction his arms were pointed to a steel beam shaking above where Richard, Chase, and the few SWAT officers that remained were crouched. Cara nodded her head and took a deep breath. She bolted out of cover and smacked against the Sister of the Dark’s barrier. She wrenched her hands into the energy and pulled. The woman hissed. A ball of flame flew from over Cara’s shoulder. The Sister put her hands up in time to deflect most of the blast but went careening past Darken and into the desks protecting the officers. Cara ducked instinctively and turned toward the blast’s origination. A Dacra whirled past her. Darken jumped to the side and stumbled on a pile of debris. Cara exploded toward him, Agiels in her hands.

Angry red lightning bolts spread across Darken’s cheek and arm. Cara ground the weapons into Darken’s skin. Her teeth were ground so tight she was certain they would crack. “Stop,” his voice was barely a whisper.

Cara involuntarily dropped her Agiels. “Fuck!” she shouted.

Cara punched Darken in the stomach, driving the air out of his lungs. “If you can’t talk,” she started and swung for his windpipe.

Darken caught her fist in his hands and threw her over his body. She landed awkwardly on a broken desk. “Cara!” she heard Richard shout her name as if from underwater.

Cara pulled herself to her feet and tried to shake the cobwebs loose from her head. That made her notice the pounding behind her eyes. She went to her knees. Everything around her sounded muffled and distant. She blinked slowly. She felt herself moving. She wondered when that happened and how her Agiels came to be in her hands again. Richard was in front of her now. Her arm swung. Richard dodged. Her arm swung again. His voice was so distorted in her ears that she had no idea what he was saying. She tried to read his lips to no avail. Her vision slowly came more into focus as she felt her arms swing at Richard a second then a third and fourth time.

“Cara, stop,” Richard repeated as he batted her arms away.

Cara hesitated. She could feel Darken crawling around in her mind with the pain behind her eyes now dimmed. Her leg connected with Richard’s groin. He dropped to the ground and she saw herself swing at his temple. Cara growled which morphed into a scream as the Agiel missed the crown of Richard’s head by barely an inch. She felt Darken Rahl’s magic press against her brain. She was not sure it was possible to feel all your synapses firing but Cara felt like her brain was lit up like a holiday tree. “Knock me out or kill Darken, Richard,” Cara gritted through clenched teeth.

Richard pressed the button on his walkie-talkie, “Take the shot.”

The sound that followed was not what Cara expected. The shot itself was silent. There was a thick thwump followed by silence in her brain. She had not noticed the white noise in her ears until it was gone. She turned slowly around to see Darken’s body lying in a heap over a chair. His hair was a tangled mess covering his face. The officers behind the barricade filed out. Cara watched them put handcuffs on the people knocked unconscious. Denna limped up to Richard, “I helped. Remember that.”

Richard nodded as he called for ambulances and ordered the teams to converge. Cara looked over to where Verna helped Kahlan to her feet. Kahlan’s t-shirt was burned away where Dahlia’s Agiel made contact. Cara knew firsthand the second degree burns that lay on Kahlan’s skin. Dahlia—Cara looked to where Dahlia had been knocked out. She was not there. Cara quickly swept the room. A swatch of red disappeared behind a bookcase. Cara bolted.

“Thank you, Verna,” Kahlan smiled at the older woman.

“You are welcome,” Verna replied as she wrapped Kahlan in a hug.

Kahlan tried to walk but her legs felt like jelly beneath her. She resigned herself to lean into the solid weight of Verna at her side. Before long, a pair of EMTs had her strapped onto a gurney. “Cara,” she croaked to Verna, “Where’s Cara?”

Verna looked around the room and shook her head, “I don’t see her anywhere. Maybe she’s outside.”

Kahlan nodded and closed her eyes. When next she opened them, Richard stared down at her. Kahlan blinked against the brightness of the hospital lights. “Hey,” Richard grinned.

“Uh hi,” Kahlan’s mind rushed to connect the dots to her current position.

Richard watched her try to mentally piece things together. “After the op, you were brought to the hospital to deal with the Agiel burns and make sure there was no damage to your circulatory system.”

Kahlan nodded, surprised at how well her body felt given the situation. Zedd entered the room with an armful of snacks from the vending machine. “I take it I’ve you to thank for how well I feel?” Kahlan asked.

Zedd bowed dramatically. His long grey hair fell around his face. When he uprighted himself, a smile was plastered on his lips, “Guilty as charged.”

Kahlan replied, “Thanks, Zedd,” she looked around the room again, “Where’s Cara? Is she ok?”

Richard rubbed the back of his neck. Zedd dug into a bag of chips and chewed loudly rather than respond. The machine behind Kahlan beeped faster as her heartrate climbed. Richard looked up at it. “She disappeared after the fight,” he quickly said.

“What?” Kahlan asked.

“She and Dahlia are still unaccounted for,” Richard continued.

“Have you been looking for them? Dahlia may’ve hurt Cara,” Kahlan started pulling at the covers around her legs.

Richard reached down to still her hands. “There’s no trace of either one of them. We’re still looking but…,” Richard trailed off.

“You think they ran off together,” Kahlan responded flatly.

She looked down at her hands and tried to regain her composure. “When am I getting out of here? I need to pack up my apartment.”

“I’ll get your doctor,” Zedd replied.

The pity in his voice made Kahlan twitch. She found herself inordinately angry at the prospect that either of them pitied her. It was a very Cara response. Kahlan shook her head at herself. The doctor checked her chart and vitals. Kahlan was released within the hour thanks to Zedd’s healing. Richard accompanied her back to her apartment. A pair of officers flanked her door. Richard shrugged, “Just in case.”

Kahlan nodded absently. When he offered to come in and check the apartment, Kahlan did not have the energy to tell him it was not necessary. So, she stood with her arms wrapped around her chest as Richard needlessly checked her house. “It’ll take about two weeks to process all the paperwork and get you out of here. In the meantime, there’ll be two officers on your door at all times.”

Kahlan nodded. “You guys are paying for all the costs of moving, right?”

“Yup,” Richard replied.

Kahlan looked around at her life. “How’s Dennee?” she asked when her eyes stopped on a photo of her and her sister.

“She’s fine. Safely tucked away at Aydindril. Doctors checked her out when she got there. Pregnancy looks good despite everything. You’re gonna be an aunt in just a few months.”

Richard’s cheer grated on Kahlan’s nerves, but she was genuinely happy for her sister. She forced a smile and moved in the direction of the door. “I’m really tired, Richard, so if you don’t mind?”

Richard nodded. He squeezed Kahlan’s shoulder, “Zedd is gonna stop by in the morning if that’s okay just to make sure you’re all put together correctly.”

Kahlan chuckled at that. “Okay,” she smiled genuinely this time and opened the door for Richard to leave, “Good night, Richard.”

“Night, Kahlan,” he waved.

Kahlan leaned against the closed door. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her body. She dragged herself to her room and stripped out of the scrubs the hospital gave her. A pair of gray cotton shorts and a purple tank top sat on her bed. She said a silent thanks for her laziness as she put on the clothing then crawled underneath her covers. Sleep found her within seconds. 

Kahlan yawned and stretched languidly when she finally woke up hours later. Her eyes felt glued together, so she padded into her bathroom to dig the contacts out of them. She fumbled for her pair of back-up glasses in the medicine cabinet. The silver wire-rimmed glasses pinched the sides of her head. She hated wearing them and made a mental note to find out where her stuff was from the hotel. She clicked off the light in the bathroom and made her way to her kitchen to get a glass of water. “Hello, Confessor.”


	25. Kahlan

Kahlan took a sip and sat her cup down on the counter before turning around. Dahlia leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. She stuck out like a sore thumb. Dahlia still wore her red leather outfit. It was torn in patches at her knees and elbows. Kahlan mirrored Dahlia’s posture back at her, leaning against the sink apron. “Where’s Cara?” she asked.

Dahlia laughed. It was like nails on a chalkboard in Kahlan’s ears. “That’s pretty sad, Confessor. I’ve no idea where your pet is, maybe you should’ve kept her on a tighter leash.”

Kahlan fought down the urge to slap Dahlia. Calm, rationality would keep her alive. Dahlia wanted a reaction. Kahlan refused to give her the satisfaction. Kahlan sighed, “Why are you here?”

“I’m sorry, is this a bad time? I can come back later,” Dahlia snarled.

Kahlan rolled her eyes. “Cut to the fucking chase, Dahlia.”

Dahlia pulled the Agiel from her thigh holster. Kahlan watched, as placidly as possible. She glanced over at the magnetic knife rack hanging on the wall to her left. Dahlia tracked the movement and clucked at Kahlan. “You won’t be fast enough.”

Kahlan nodded, “Probably not.”

The water from her glass flew into Dahlia’s face. Dahlia swung with her Agiel. Kahlan ducked easily underneath and punched Dahlia in the stomach. The shove that followed made Dahlia stumble against the dining table. Kahlan bolted to the front door. Outside, her guards were knocked out on the ground. Dahlia grabbed a fist full of Kahlan’s hair and jerked her back into the living room. Dahlia kicked the door closed as Kahlan fumbled to her feet.

“You took everything from me,” Dahlia pointed at Kahlan with her Agiel, “You took Cara, the Lord Rahl, my home, everything,” Dahlia stalked toward Kahlan but stopped just out of arm’s reach.

Kahlan’s mind raced to find solutions to this situation. She could Confess Dahlia if she could get her hands on her. She wondered whether her neighbors had heard the scuffling and called the police. Or even what was the time of day. The shades in her home were pulled. She looked around her living room for anything to leverage control back in her favor. Dahlia stomped her foot, “Am I boring you, bitch?”

Her Agiel whined against Kahlan’s leg forcing her onto the ground. She watched the tendrils of red spread and twist. Her teeth gritted in effort not to scream. Dahlia glared at Kahlan, “I know the wizard healed you, but I wonder how much trauma your heart can take before it just gives out.”

Kahlan swiped at Dahlia’s face. Her nails dug into the woman’s skin leaving small scrapes along her cheek. “Really?” Dahlia grumbled.

Kahlan inhaled raggedly. _Stall, just stall her,_ Kahlan thought to herself.

“Clearly, I didn’t take Cara, Dahlia. She isn’t here. I thought she ran off with you.”

“Of course she didn’t, you fucking idiot,” Dahlia punctuated the insult with another jab from her Agiel.

Kahlan groaned as she pulled herself up against the bottom of her couch, _Wrong topic._ Dahlia squatted in front of Kahlan. She pushed the Agiel again into Kahlan’s thigh. Kahlan grabbed for the Agiel this time. The flesh on her palms sizzled and popped but she could not dislodge Dahlia. Just as Kahlan was about to pass out, Dahlia removed the Agiel. “You see,” she started, still squatting next to Kahlan’s ankles, “it’s obvious that Cara never broke you.”

Kahlan’s head flopped back against the seat of the couch. “What do you want, Dahlia?”

“What do I want?” she repeated and inched forward, running the edge of the Agiel up Kahlan’s arm.

The fine hairs there raised in the wake of the energy. “First, I want to break you. Then, I want you to kill your sister and the thing growing in her belly. Then, ideally, I’ll leave your broken body somewhere for Cara to find.”

Kahlan spat what little moisture was left in her mouth at Dahlia. Dahlia recoiled and wiped her face. Kahlan pulled herself up higher against the couch, “And what about Cara?”

Dahlia smirked. “Yeah, what about me?” the voice behind Dahlia made her jump.

Cara’s Agiel connected soundly against Dahlia’s temple. Cara felt certain that she cracked the woman’s skull. She did not care though. Cara pulled Dahlia away from Kahlan before turning back to the unconscious police officers and snagging a radio. “Officers down, requesting back up,” Cara gave the location before tossing the radio back at the man’s chest.

Cara sheathed her Agiels then scooted herself up to Kahlan. She cradled Kahlan’s cheeks and checked her pupils. “I thought you were gone,” Kahlan started.

Cara paused her visual sweep of Kahlan’s injuries. She rubbed her thumb along Kahlan’s jaw and shook her head. “I knew Dahlia would come after you. I hoped to catch her before she got here but,” Cara leaned back on her heels, “I lost her. It took some doing to track you down. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

Kahlan shook her head, and with it some of the fogginess from her senses, “You’re here now.”

Cara squeezed Kahlan’s hand and hoped it conveyed the things she felt. “I don’t—I mean I’m not good at this feeling stuff.”

Kahlan huffed a laugh, “No shit.”

“Hey!” Cara scowled.

Kahlan turned her hand over in Cara’s and interlaced their fingers. She looked up at the green eyes staring intently at her, “So what’s next?”

Cara shrugged, “Spirits if I know.”

“Well I know what I want. The question is do you know what you want?” Kahlan let go of Cara’s hand and pushed herself up onto the couch.

Cara bit the inside of her lip and watched Kahlan watch her. She waited for the unease to emerge from being scrutinized. When it did not Cara simply nodded, “I do.”

_A Five Years Later_

Kahlan leaned against the doorframe between the house and the garage. She watched a foot tap out a beat from underneath her jacked up car. Kahlan cleared her throat. The foot stopped tapping and Cara rolled out from under the vehicle. Her cheek was smudged with grease. “We really ought to replace this car. Nothing works,” Cara said as she wiped her hands on a towel.

“Mmhmm,” Kahlan smiled, “Dennee and Lucy will be here in an hour. You should go take a shower.”

Cara grinned at Kahlan, “I or we?”

Kahlan blushed. Cara loved the fact that after five years living together she could still make the Confessor blush. If Kahlan responded, the words were drowned out by the hiss of the hydraulics lowering Kahlan’s car. Cara really needed to convince Kahlan to give up the hunk of junk. Cara turned off the light in the garage and closed the door. She tugged her white t-shirt off as she walked through the living room. Kahlan nodded at the open blinds on the front window from her place in the kitchen. Cara shrugged, “If someone can see through the sheers then let them enjoy the show, Kahlan.”

“I certainly am,” Kahlan winked.

Cara loved when Kahlan flirted with her. The warm shower did wonders for unclenching muscles in Cara’s back and shoulders she had not noticed were tight. She tugged on a pair of faded jeans and an emerald green cotton v-neck. A small amount of mascara and blush was all the make-up Cara applied before joining Kahlan in the kitchen. “You’re turn,” she wrapped her arms around Kahlan’s belly and kissed her on the neck.

Kahlan turned in Cara’s arms and tugged Cara’s lower lip into her mouth. Cara loved when Kahlan did that which is why Kahlan did it. Kahlan pulled out of the warmth of Cara’s arms, “Two minutes more then drain the pasta please and add it to the sauce pan.”

Kahlan disappeared into their bedroom to change. It was the first time they would be meeting Dennee’s daughter. Kahlan’s niece. Cara fought the surge of nervous energy. Her hand tightened around the ladle in the saucepan. The ache for the comfort of her Agiels was a slowly dimming thing. It had taken two years for her to stop wearing them under her overalls to work.

Cara drained the pasta and put the penne into the homemade alfredo sauce Kahlan made. She turned down the heat on the stove and checked the garlic bread in the oven. Another couple minutes and everything would be ready. Cara pulled the “good dishes,” as Kahlan called them, from the cabinet. They were plain white dishes, nothing fancy, Cara still tried to understand what made them the good dishes. Though she supposed perhaps it was that they were not paper or plastic that earned them the title. Cara loved that the domesticity of it all did not make her skin crawl.

By the time Kahlan emerged from the bedroom, looking for all the world like a goddess, Cara had the table set and the pasta in a bowl in the center next to a plate piled high with the bread. Cara looked at Kahlan in her tight dark jeans and sky-blue button up. Kahlan wore her contacts so the shirt made her eyes pop. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun on top of her head and tendrils fell around her shoulders in curls. Cara smiled at Kahlan, “You look amazing.”

“Yeah? I’m so nervous to meet Lucy,” Kahlan admitted.

Cara leaned against one of the benches at the table, “She’s gonna love you.”

“Yeah?” Kahlan asked.

Cara reached for Kahlan’s hand which she squeezed gently, “Yes. It’s impossible not to.”

Kahlan kissed Cara. The doorbell rang drawing Kahlan from Cara’s grasp. Kahlan opened the door and smiled brightly at her sister. “Come in!”

“Hey, Dennee,” Cara waved from next to the table.

“Hello, Cara,” Dennee smiled.

A small figure was plastered to Dennee’s legs. All Cara could see were the stubby fingers holding onto Dennee’s gray slacks. “Come out, Lucy,” Dennee cajoled.

Kahlan knelt in front of Dennee and held out her hand to Lucy. The little girl leaned cautiously out from behind her mother’s legs. “I’m Kahlan.”

The little girl shook Kahlan’s hand before looking up at Cara. Kahlan continued, “And that’s Cara.”

“Hey, kiddo,” Cara replied.

“Kahlan is your mommy’s sister,” Dennee ran her fingers through Lucy’s hair as she spoke, “And Cara is Kahlan’s girlfriend.”

Cara did not hate being called Kahlan’s girlfriend, a thought which made her inwardly grimace. Dinner went well. Cara and Dennee spoke cordially to one another. Kahlan spoke to Lucy almost exclusively which pleased Lucy to no end. Afterward, Cara felt Lucy staring at her. “What’s up, munchkin?” Cara asked.

Lucy examined Cara in such a way that made Cara want to squirm. Those tiny blue eyes were every bit Amnell but there was something else. “Play with me,” Lucy stated.

Cara stopped. Her heart hammered in her chest. Cara felt her eyes widen as she fought to keep the panic off her face. “Not right now, sweetie,” Dennee interrupted, “Why don’t you read your book. We’ll leave in just a few minutes.”

Lucy tilted her head to the side and smiled at Cara. “Read me the book, auntie Cara.”

Cara swallowed. There beneath the words, she felt the pull. “Oh Creator.”

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's a wrap. Thanks for coming on this journey with me. I've loved mostly all of it but everyone who has left comments and kudos throughout this process have meant so much more to me than I can possibly say. Y'all are amazing and I love you.


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